May 2024 Pediatric Pulse
Cliff Notes: From the Chair
Dear Yale Pediatrics Family,
It's already been a big month for conferences and I loved seeing so many of you at the PAS Meeting a few weeks ago. It's always special to see faculty and trainees from the department on a big stage, whether it be as part of a panel or presenting a poster at a huge conference. Learning together and sharing our amazing research helps us always provide the best care for kids everywhere.
Warmly,
Cliff
Top Stories
56 Yale Pediatricians Recognized by Connecticut Magazine's 2024 “Top Doctors” List
More than 300 Yale Medicine physicians have earned a spot on the 2024 Connecticut Magazine “Top Doctors” list.
2 May 2024State expands Bridgeport program that offers home visits to families of newborns: 'A lifeline'
A pilot program started at Bridgeport Hospital has offered at-home visits to the families of nearly 500 newborns and will be expanding next month, officials announced Monday.
Source: New Haven Register30 Apr 2024Prasanna Ananth, MD, MPH, Named as an Emerging Leader in Hospice and Palliative Care 2024
Prasanna Ananth, MD, MPH, Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the Yale School of Medicine, was named an Emerging Leaders in Hospice and Palliative Care by the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine (AAHPM).
6 May 2024
Yale Peds ACE Award Winner
The Yale Pediatrics Department’s Award for Clinical Excellence (Yale Peds ACE) recognizes exemplary clinicians who go above and beyond for patients, deliver the highest quality of care and personify healing, innovation and collaboration.
The Yale Peds-ACE Award for the month of April 2024 goes to Russell Kesman, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics Critical Care!
Dr. Kesman serves in a pivotal role within both the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and the Pediatric Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (PCICU), showcasing his exceptional ability to manage and coordinate care for our most complex patients as they transition between these units.
One quote from his nomination stated, "His commitment to patient care is further illustrated by his compassionate actions outside of regular hours. On at least two occasions, Russ has returned to the hospital in the evening solely to provide comfort
and support to families grieving the loss of their children following sudden cardiac events. These actions highlight his profound empathy and unwavering support for his patients and their families, placing their needs and well-being at the heart of every decision.”
Please join us in congratulating Dr. Kesman on this award!
Yale Pediatrics at the Pediatric Endocrine Society
Pediatric Endocrinology had a number of presentations at the Pediatric Endocrine Society meeting in Chicago in early May!
Among some of the posters and presentations, Dr. Laura Nally presented, “Parental and Personal Perceptions of a Very Low Carbohydrate Diet with Type 1 Diabetes: A Qualitative Descriptive Study” and her mentee, Shiraz Harel, presented, “’Can I Afford to Live Today?’ The Emotional Toll of Navigating the Healthcare System with Type 1 Diabetes.”
The Yale team (past and present) at PES 2024!
Fellows Sena Turk Yilmaz and Rucha Anant Patki
Dr. Laura Nally's poster at the Pediatric Endocrine Society Meeting 2024
Sena Turk Yilmaz, Tom Carpenter, and Rucha Anant Patki at PES 2024
Yale Pediatric Endocrinology with Dr. Carpenter after giving the presidential speech as outgoing president for the Pediatric Endocrine Society.
Interprofessional Graduate Certificate in Palliative Care
This 9-month certificate is specifically designed for working professionals looking for specialty training in palliative care communication, interprofessional practice, and system change and program sustainability. Alumni work as members of specialty palliative care teams, primary palliative care champions across many specialties, educators, leaders and change agents within their organization. Chaplains, social workers, child life specialists, nurses, advanced practice providers (NPs and PAs), rehab therapists, and physicians are all encouraged to apply.
The pediatrics-specific track is now in its sixth year, with scholarships available. This program is fantastic for professionals looking to deepen their practice working with kids with complex chronic conditions, hoping to become palliative care champions within their field, or pursuing a career in palliative care.
Click here for more information or email Jess Anderson, Program Manager, at pctc@uw.edu with any questions about applying.
Grants and Awards
- Lindsay Johnston – Mead Johnson Nutrition – 15th Annual First Year Neonatology Fellows Regional Bootcamp
- Project period: 7/14/24
- Total awarded to Yale: $5,000
- Ravi Gudneppanavar – CFF 2024 Fall Postdoctoral Research Fellowship Award – Ezrin is Required to Maintain the Number and Function of the Alveolar Macrophages in CF During Infection
- Project period: 5/1/24-5/1/26;
- Total awarded to Yale: $151,000
- Nitya Bakshi – NIH Subaward with Emory University - Integrative Training Program for Pediatric Sickle Cell Pain
- Project period: 10/1/23-8/31/24
- Total awarded to Yale: $46,433
Kudos & Congrats!
- Daniel Glaser has been elected as the Small Centers Vice Chair at the Childhood Arthritis and Rheumatology Research Alliance, or CARRA for 2024-2027
- Melissa Langhan, MD, MHS, FAAP is the new Chair-Elect of the AAP Section on Emergency Medicine (SOEM) Executive Committee. SOEM executive committee leaders are elected by the SOEM membership at-large. She will serve a two-year term beginning 11/1/24, followed by 2 year term as chair, and 2 year term as immediate past chair
- Dr. Lauren Jeffries and Dr. Saquib Lakhani have been the first to describe a syndrome, which is now named after them: Jeffries-Lakhani neurodevelopmental syndrome (JELANS)
- Ada Fenick, MD, promotion to Professor of Pediatrics (General Pediatrics) in the Clinician Educator-Scholar Track with a continuing appointment, effective July 1, 2024
- Arik Alper, MD, promotion to Associate Professor, Pediatrics (Gastroenterology & Hepatology), in the Clinician Educator-Scholar Track, July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2029
- Ruchika Karnik, MBBS, promotion to Associate Professor, Pediatrics (Cardiology), in the Clinician Educator-Scholar Track, July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2029
- Engin Deniz, MD's science has been featured on the cover of the latest edition of the journal Brain.
- Julia Rosenberg and Ashley Demory, with CT-AAP Chapter President Barbara Ziogas, visited our CT senate & representative offices as part of their time at the AAP advocacy conference in Washington D.C.
- Dr. Aron Flagg has begun a new role as Outpatient Medical Director for Pediatric Hematology/Oncology/BMT. Big thanks to Dr. Farzana Pashankar, who led this program and worked with Dr. Flagg over the last few months to ensure a smooth transition.
- Jeff Gruen will begin a new roles as Chair of the Appointments & Promotions Committee in July
Celebrate Pride
Honor Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer (LGBTQ+) communities through Pride celebrations. Yale celebrates Pride starting in April (to include our student community) and continuing through June. Learn how to get involved, learn, and celebrate on campus and in New Haven here.
Strategic Planning Working Group Spotlight
Jim Dodington, MD, CPST, FAAP, Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Emergency Medicine
What’s your role on the SPWG?
- I serve as a Representative for Advocacy, along with my outstanding partner in this work, Dr. Julia Rosenberg.
What’s one thing you’ve learned while part of the working group?
- Most visibly at the recent departmental retreat, it was great to see the attendees’ level of agreement on priorities in the strategic plan. Maybe it’s our collective pediatric spirit, but from our SPWG meetings to our listening sessions, we’ve heard a desire to build better connections among our faculty and staff and I think that spirit is reflected in our strategic plan goals, especially around advocacy, education, workforce development, and Diversity Equity and inclusion.
What goals are you most excited about having included in this strategic plan?
- It’s clear from my title on the SPWG, that I am most excited about the formal inclusion of Pediatric Advocacy and Child Health Policy in our plan. As many other institutions have done over the past few years, we hope to bring together faculty, staff, and especially trainees through this center to provide coordinated resources for advocacy and child health policy research and implementation.
Write for Paw Prints Blog
Paw Prints works to connect with and strengthen our community through the power of storytelling. The blog hopes to highlight blog posts from a diverse array of people, perspectives, and experiences with a focus on social justice and advocacy topics. Long or short form writing, drawings, poems, photos, and different media are welcome. To submit, please email molly.markowitz@yale.edu. Read the latest submissions here.
Yale Pediatrics in the News
Seven Things to Know About the Medical Specialty Exposure Pipeline (MSEP) at Yale
The mission of MSEP is to empower high school students that are historically minoritized & underrepresented within medicine to choose medical career paths.
13 May 2024Yale Departments of Psychiatry, Pediatrics, and Child Study Center Staff Spotlight May 2024
In the latest edition of a spotlight series launched in early 2023 to feature integrated business operations (IBO) and administration staff at the Department of Psychiatry and Yale Child Study Center, now also including the Department of Pediatrics, meet IBO Communications Officers Chris Gardner, Alexa Tomassi, and Crista Marchesseault.
13 May 2024Autism conference at Yale highlights latest research & clinical advances
The fifth annual early autism conference at Yale took place on Thursday, April 18, 2024, with approximately 100 participants. The event was hosted by the Yale Child Study Center Social and Affective Neuroscience of Autism (SANA) Program, directed by Emily Fraser Beedy Professor Kasia Chawarska.
10 May 2024Building Capacity in Medical Students to Care for Transgender and Gender Diverse Patients
A small group of Yale medical and public health students collaborated with faculty mentors to develop a clinical skills-based simulation session on caring for transgender and gender-diverse patients, in which all MD students will participate in during their clinical year.
10 May 2024Living With Endometriosis: a Personal Perspective; a Professional Passion
Hear how a medical student lives with endometriosis - an often misdiagnosed disease - and why physicians and researchers are driven to change perception.
9 May 202418 Faculty Selected for Second Longitudinal Coach Cohort
18 Yale School of Medicine faculty were selected as the second longitudinal coach cohort.
2 May 2024Dr. Ronald Vender, Gastroenterologist and Yale Medicine’s First Chief Medical Officer, Retiring
Anyone who has worked with Ronald Vender, MD, singles him out for his outstanding ability to connect with people and invest in their wellbeing. Vender, MD ’77, professor of medicine (digestive diseases), who will retire in June, served as the chief medical officer of Yale Medicine and associate dean for clinical affairs at Yale School of Medicine for over 12 years.
1 May 2024be Well: Foods that carry the most allergy risk
Millions of adults and kids have food allergies. Allergist Dr. Stephanie Leeds from Greenwich Hospital and Yale New Haven Children's Hospital talked about the foods that carry the most risk in the show.
Source: News 1230 Apr 2024Mobile medical clinic
Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Liz Znamierowski runs the Mother and Infant Mobile Clinic based out of the storefront at 270 Congress Avenue. Launched by Dr. Leslie Sude in 2020, the Mother and Infant program brought care to mothers and newborns in New Haven during the COVID-19 pandemic and revealed that there was enough community need to continue its services beyond the pandemic. In partnership with American Medical Response, the Mother and Infant Mobile Clinic utilizes a retrofitted ambulance to provide dyadic healthcare curbside to patients’ residences.
Source: It's Your Yale29 Apr 2024Yale New Haven Health Check: Dr. Michael Sider, Pediatrician at Yale New Haven Children’s Hospital, On Safe Sleeping for Infants and Toddlers
Connecticut’s Morning Buzz Reporter Jillian Andrews recently spoke with Dr. Michael Sider, a pediatrician at Yale New Haven Children’s Hospital, about safe sleeping protocol for infants and toddlers.
Source: WTNH23 Apr 2024Type 1 on a GLP-1 Drug? Watch for Hypoglycemia and DKA
People with type 1 diabetes who take a GLP-1 drug for weight loss or other health benefits may see unexpected low blood sugar levels, as well as a higher risk of diabetic ketoacidosis.
Source: diaTRIBE22 Apr 2024A year after launch, ‘HUSKY for immigrants’ sees strong demand
A Connecticut law expanding state-sponsored insurance coverage to certain children regardless of immigration status has seen explosive demand since it went into effect nearly 14 months ago.
Source: Hartford Business Journal19 Apr 2024Long Island boy, 8, is first in NYS to receive new therapy for blood disorder
The new treatment allows children like Yusef to stop taking the blood transfusions that keep the disease at bay
Source: Newsday19 Apr 2024A New Review Updates What's Known About Initial IV Anesthetics and Outcomes in Refractory Status Epilepticus
Although there are clear guidelines for initial management of SE, the appropriate direction to take is less straightforward when the condition becomes refractory—that is, when it has failed to respond to two or more medications, said Susan T. Arnold, MD, an adjunct professor of pediatric neurology at Yale University School of Medicine in New Haven, CT.
Source: Neurology Today18 Apr 2024Whooping cough rising sharply in some countries. Why you may need a booster.
Newborn babies are at greatest risk from the respiratory infection.
Source: NBC News17 Apr 2024Infant death numbers in CT remain high. What parents and caregivers should know.
The number of babies who accidentally die from suffocation because they sleep with their parents or other caregivers remains stubbornly high in Connecticut. A big reason is parents, many of them single caregivers, who need to calm a baby to get a decent night’s sleep because they need to get to work in the morning.
Source: Hartford Courant17 Apr 2024Health officials sound the alarm as measles cases spike across the country
A Yale health expert is raising awareness of measles as cases are reported in New York and New Jersey. Dr. Magna Dias, a professor of pediatrics at Yale School of Medicine says the U.S. typically sees a few cases of measles each year from unvaccinated travelers coming into the country.
Source: News 12 CT15 Apr 2024Celebrating Health Profession Students' Poetry, Prose, and Visual Arts
The winners of the annual Yale School of Medicine Program for Humanities in Medicine Health Professions Students' Creative Writing & Art Contest were celebrated on May 2, 2024.
14 May 2024
Publications
- Phonological awareness mediates the relationship between DCDC2 and reading performance with home environmentLi M, DeMille M, Lovett M, Bosson-Heenan J, Frijters J, Gruen J. Phonological awareness mediates the relationship between DCDC2 and reading performance with home environment. Npj Science Of Learning 2024, 9: 36. PMID: 38702345, PMCID: PMC11068914, DOI: 10.1038/s41539-024-00247-5.
- No Science Supports the Diagnostic Methods for Abusive Head Trauma—ReplyLeventhal J, Asnes A, Edwards G. No Science Supports the Diagnostic Methods for Abusive Head Trauma—Reply. JAMA Pediatrics 2024, 178: 508-509. PMID: 38436949, DOI: 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2024.0063.
- Incidence and risk factors of pain crisis after hematopoietic cell transplantation for sickle cell diseaseKrishnamurti L, Liang J, He Z, Deng Y, Nallagatla V, Hamidi R, Flagg A, Shah N. Incidence and risk factors of pain crisis after hematopoietic cell transplantation for sickle cell disease. Blood Advances 2024, 8: 1908-1919. PMID: 38324722, PMCID: PMC11021890, DOI: 10.1182/bloodadvances.2023010749.
National Day of Action for Child Passenger Safety
Join Trainees for Child Injury Prevention (T4CIP) on their #CheckBeforeYouChange Day of Action for a child passenger safety webinar on May 22 at 2:00 p.m. Experts will be talking about the importance of having children in the right car seat, and what to check to know when they are ready to change to the next one.
The YNHH Center for Injury and Violence Prevention can also help answer any questions about getting your child’s seat safely installed, just email carseats@ynhh.org!
Pediatric Emergency Medicine Point-of-Care Ultrasound (PEM POCUS) Spring Update
Click here to view this quarter's newsletter and learn about Dr. Sonali Bhalodkar's graduation, the April PEM POCUS Workshop at West Campus, POCUS training and program development in the Dominican Republic and more!
Ronald McDonald House Quarterly Updates
The Ronald McDonald House of Connecticut gives families the gift of togetherness. The house is an important partner of Yale New Haven Children’s Hospital and serves as a safe-haven for families with children in need of medical care, keeping them together as they seek essential healthcare services and life-changing medical treatment. Check out their Spring 2024 newsletter for updates here or make a donation on their website.
Updates & Reminders
Staff Spirit Week
Staff Spirit Week is June 3-7 and Staff Appreciation Day is June 5! Come out to Old Campus to celebrate and enjoy some food, fun, music, and more. Don’t forget to RSVP!
Consolidation of Travel Booking Services
As of May 1, 2024, the University has consolidated its travel booking service providers. World Travel has replaced Egencia for all Yale business travel booking needs. Please contact the Yale Travel Management team (travel@yale.edu) with questions.
Please refer to this email from Suzanne Monk for more details.
Need a New Head Shot?
Need a new head shot for your YSM profile? Click here to book an appointment for a photo session with the YSM Communications office.
Strategic Planning
The Department has embarked on a strategic planning phase that will help create a clear, creative, and concrete strategic plan that will guide Yale Pediatrics’ next five years.
A good strategic plan will:
- Help Yale Pediatrics to continue to manifest its mission
- Attract resources and energy, including faculty, residents, students, and staff
- Support a positive work culture
- Foster agreed upon organizational values
You can keep up with updates and event information on the Pediatrics intranet, here.
Masking Updates
The mask use requirement for staff in all patient interactions was discontinued on Monday, April 15, 2024. Staff will continue to be required to mask when indicated by standard or transmission-based precautions, including during the care of any patient who may have an acute respiratory infection. Read more.
Why we should all care about measles: Campus Health
Cases of measles in the U.S. have increased, primarily among unvaccinated individuals. Be aware of signs, symptoms, and circumstances that increase the risk of infection. Learn more here.
COVID isolation and respiratory illness updates: Campus Health
New respiratory illness guidance from the CDC
The CDC has updated their recommendations for steps individuals should follow if they develop symptoms of any respiratory infection, including COVID. The new recommendations represent a notable change in policy, as they eliminate the five-day isolation period for COVID and align recommendations for all respiratory viral illness. Those recommendations are the following:
- STAY HOME until you have been fever-free for 24 hours without fever-lowering medications AND your symptoms are improving.
- This is the period where you are most contagious.
- Staying home is also important for respiratory viral infections without fever
- Return to routine activities but take ADDITIONAL PRECAUTIONS for five days to prevent the spread of infection to others: wear a well-fitting mask, take steps to improve air flow, distance from others, and wash hands frequently.
- If fever returns or symptoms worsen, return to the stay-at-home phase.
Importantly, the new guidance does NOT apply to healthcare settings, which continue to follow existing guidance. Yale healthcare workers with respiratory symptoms should test for COVID and should remain in isolation for seven days from symptom onset if they test positive. If symptomatic but COVID negative, healthcare workers should follow the general respiratory viral guidance above.
Read more in the latest Campus Health Update here.
Reminder: Faculty, staff, and students with a valid Yale ID can pick up a maximum of two free rapid antigen test kits at a time at these locations on campus during business hours.
Do You Need Help?
Print or save this flyer if you need assistance on campus during an emergency, to get support or make a report about misconduct, reach mental health counseling, or report other concerns.
Pediatric Medical Education Research Collaborative (P-MERC)
The Pediatric Medical Education Research Collaborative (P-MERC) can be found here. P-MERC provides resources and support to members of the Department of Pediatrics who are interested in engaging in educational research and scholars. If you have suggestions for the site, please reach out to Melissa Langhan, MD, MHS at Melissa.Langhan@yale.edu.
Zoom Rooms
Reminder: The Trask (LMP 3108) and LLCI 400 conference rooms have been upgraded to Zoom Rooms! This was done to standardize rooms across the University, improve functionality, enable room monitoring by IT, and allow for easy upgrades to the infrastructure in the future. Please note, ALL speakers will need to bring a laptop with them to the Zoom Rooms to be able to present. Save a copy of the instructions for these rooms here.
Let's Get Social!
HYLITEs in Pediatrics
Scan the QR code on any of the posted signs around the Department or text “Peds1” to (831) 222-2333 to send a Hylite. You can also send a Hylite HERE anytime from a web browser. Happy Hyliting!