University of Colorado Department of Pediatrics

Welcome to the July edition of the Department of Pediatrics Newsletter. Here you will find a sampling of all the amazing activity happening within the Department of Pediatrics and at Children’s Hospital Colorado. Thanks to all our talented faculty, trainees, and staff who make this the best Pediatrics Department in the country!

U.S. News Rankings

For the 13th time, U.S. News & World Report has compiled its list of the very best Children’s Hospitals and specialty programs for pediatric care and treatment. Once again, Children’s Hospital Colorado has been ranked in all eight of the pediatric medicine specific specialties evaluated by U.S. News. For the first time ever, all of our programs ranked are in the top 20 nationally. Here’s a look at how our programs and CHCO have performed in these rankings over the last several years:

These rankings reflect the deep commitment to and passion for our mission to improve the health of children through high-quality patient care, education, research and advocacy; as held by all Department of Pediatrics faculty, trainees and staff and by our Children’s Hospital Colorado colleagues. Thanks to everyone for your service to our mission and congratulations on this well-deserved national recognition.

Patel Launches “DO IT!” Study Targeting Obesity

Sonali Patel, MD, PhD (Associate Professor, Section of Cardiology), has been awarded a three-year, $570,000 grant from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) for an important new clinical study titled, “Dyslipidemia of Obesity Intervention in Teens – DO IT!” Dr. Patel and her study team intend to determine if treatment of combined dyslipidemia of obesity (CDO) in adolescents with oral pitavastatin will improve vascular measures of early atherosclerosis with acceptable safety.

Adiposity, a condition of being severely overweight, or obese, is a critical public health problem. Obesity is prevalent, affecting 16.9 percent of American children and adolescents, and is associated with increased short-term and lifetime healthcare expenditures compared to normal weight children. Three quarters of overweight adolescents become obese adults, which has important implications for future population health. While lifestyle interventions aimed at reducing adiposity are being pursued, additional effective treatment of the dyslipidemia is indicated to halt or slow the progression of atherosclerosis.

Dr. Patel’s trial of pitavastatin, targeting more than 350 children ages 10 to 17, will determine efficacy and safety in this high risk population and provide evidence for clinicians to target this treatable risk factor to achieve an impact on early atherosclerosis, and potentially achieve primary prevention of adult cardiovascular disease.

Infectious Disease Team Advances Next-Generation Sequencing Diagnostic Test

Kevin Messacar, MD (Assistant Professor, Section of Hospital Medicine, pictured on the left) and Samuel Dominguez, MD, PhD (Associate Professor, Section of Infectious Diseases, pictured on the right), published the results of their study titled, “Clinical Metagenomic Sequencing for Diagnosis of Meningitis and Encephalitis,” in the June 13th edition of the New England Journal of Medicine (N ENGL J MED 380;24).

In their study, Drs. Messacar and Dominguez investigated the usefulness of metagenomic next-generation sequencing (NGS) of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) for the diagnosis of infectious meningitis and encephalitis in hospitalized patients.

The study found that metagenomic NGS of CSF improved diagnosis of neurologic infections and provided actionable information in some cases.

In collaboration with investigators from the University of California San Francisco, the study was the first clinical trial of a next-generation sequencing diagnostic test created that can detect all known viruses, bacteria, parasites, and fungi from CSF of patients with encephalitis and meningitis.

Telehealth Program Aims to Enhance Research Opportunities

Christina Olson, MD (Assistant Professor, Section of Hospital Medicine and Telehealth Medical Director, Children’s Hospital Colorado) is leading a new National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) funded effort to develop a Telehealth Research Platform, including a variety of Telehealth Research Tools.

In partnership with the American Academy of Pediatrics SPROUT (Supporting Pediatric Research on Outcomes and Utilization of Telehealth) initiative, Dr. Olson will design telehealth research tools to support multisite investigative efforts and a build a comprehensive registry of pediatric telehealth programs across the country. Telehealth research will be targeted to impact the development of meaningful clinical practice guidelines and policies, by careful identification and prioritization of the economic, clinical, administrative, policy, regulatory, and technical barriers that lead to gaps in existing guidelines and policy.

The goal will be to disseminate telehealth research tools, research results, guidance, and best practices, and to build and strengthen collaborations that impact the development of telehealth research and development nationwide.

Glode Honored Among Women of ID

Mary Glode, MD (Professor Emeritus, Section of Infectious Diseases) was selected as one of the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) Foundation’s Women of ID.

This honor recognizes those women who have made a lasting impact on the field of infectious diseases (ID).

Congratulations, Dr. Glode!

Center for Education Research and Scholarship Established

The Department of Pediatrics has a newly established Center for Education Research and Scholarship (CERS), which supports research and scholarship in health professions education and creates a culture of collaboration among educators across the department. CERS will facilitate and offer guidance and support to faculty, fellows, residents, and students in their medical education research and scholarship efforts, fostering a community of education scholars and, by doing so, align with Medical Education’s vision of being recognized leaders in medical education.

To best serve the community of medical education researchers in the Department of Pediatrics, the following areas have been identified as having a need for support and guidance:

· Support for doing research and writing grants in education

· Faculty development: Equipping faculty to do research & scholarship in education

· Curriculum development and innovation: Creating new approaches to education

· Assessment and evaluation: Evaluating the education we do and making plans for further improvement

· Teaching and learning: Studying education and developing innovative approaches

To learn more about CERS, education research and scholarship from our Department, our community of educators, and services and support, please visit the CERS website.

Faculty Interest Group Update

The PhD and Junior Faculty Interest Groups hosted “Now What? How to Develop a Project after Receiving a Grant” on June 21. The well-attended event included information on the SARC Review Process, Team Management, and Compliance. Thanks to everyone who participated in this event.

The Instructor/Senior Instructor Spring Reception “Be Dynamic – Find a Way to Have Your Say - Taking the Reins in Your Career Enhancement” was held on June 13. The well-attended event covered topics on career enrichment and advancement opportunities, including advocacy, community outreach, and innovation.

The LGBTQ+ Mentoring Group met for their second meeting. The group and their meetings allow LGBTQ+ residents, fellows, and faculty a safe space to connect with LGBTQ+ colleagues, ask career and life questions, and increase their visibility. If you are an LGBTQ+ resident, fellow, or faculty member interested in joining the group, please contact Justin Lotspeich at Justin.Lotspeich@childrenscolorado.org.

As always, for these and other exciting Department of Pediatrics news stories, please visit our Pediatrics News web page.

Sincerely,

Stephen R. Daniels, MD, PhD
Professor and Chair
Department of Pediatrics | University of Colorado School of Medicine
Pediatrician-in-Chief | Children’s Hospital Colorado