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June 2018 Newsletter

Department of Pediatrics Jun 8, 2018
Dear Faculty, Staff, Alumni, and Friends,
 
Welcome to the June 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. Enjoy the return of summer weather to Colorado and reading along to this month’s newsletter.
 
 
Section of Genetics Welcomes New Section Head – Dr. McCandless
In January, following a national search, it was announced that Shawn E. McCandless, MD, had agreed to join the University of Colorado – Anschutz Medical Campus as the Department of Pediatrics’ next Section Head of Genetics. Dr. McCandless officially started in his new role on May 1. Shawn comes to us from Case Western Reserve University, where he was Professor of Pediatrics and Genetics, the Director of the Center for Human Genetics, and the Director of the Center for Inherited Disorders of Energy Metabolism.
 
Dr. McCandless research focuses on disorders of energy metabolism, specifically medium-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase (MCAD) deficiency, and he is involved in a variety of clinical trials for children and adults with inborn errors of metabolism and mitochondrial diseases. His clinical interests include care of individuals with inborn errors of metabolism and management of Prader-Willi syndrome.
 
Shawn graduated from the Temple University School of Medicine in Philadelphia, did his Pediatrics Residency at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, and Clinical and Biochemical Genetics advanced residency and fellowship training at Case Western Reserve University. He is a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics (FAAP), the American College of Medical Genetics (FACMG), and serves on the Board of Directors of the Society for Inherited Metabolic Disorders (SIMD). He is presently the Co-Editor-in-Chief of Molecular Genetics and Metabolism Reports, one of the leading journals for original research articles describing investigations that use the tools of biochemistry and molecular biology for studies of normal and diseased states.
 
Dr. McCandless is well poised to steer our programs in Genetics as we move into the new era of whole genome sequencing and personalized medicine. Please join me again in welcoming Shawn to the Department and Children’s Hospital Colorado.
 
 
Resident Skit Night Award Winners
An annual spring tradition, on May 11 residents and faculty gathered for the infamous Skit Night, where each class tries to outdo the other with evermore involved and hilarious videos and musical performances. The evening also included recognition for contributions to the Department’s training programs via several special awards. This year’s award winners include the following:
 
  • Resident Teaching Award: Mollie Oudenhoven, MD, Megan Ross-Cowdery, MD, and Jay Watson, MD. As voted by fourth-year medical students, these residents are recognized for their exemplary teaching and positive impact on the medical student journey through medical school.
  • The Pediatric Residency Award for Outstanding Nursing: Chelsea Sasine, RN (Clinical Nurse II, Level 8 General Medical Unit). As voted by residents, the Outstanding Nursing Award acknowledges the nursing professional who demonstrates outstanding professionalism, excellent communication, superior clinical excellence, rapport with families, and special appreciation of unique demands on residents.
  • Outstanding Fellow Award: Julia Boster, MD (Fellow, Section of Gastroenterology). As voted by residents, the Outstanding Fellow Award distinguishes a fellow who demonstrates excellence in the teaching and mentorship of housestaff and medical students. 
  • The Bruce M. Garber Outstanding Resident Award: Kristin Kalita, MD. As voted by Pediatrics faculty, the Bruce M. Garber award honors the life and service of Dr. Garber by recognizing the resident who most embraces the pediatric ideal and standards of patient care.
  • The Jules Amer Continuity Practice Award: Maricarmen Shields, MD. As voted by Pediatric Primary Care faculty, this award is given to a graduating resident who has consistently shown a commitment to providing comprehensive, quality primary care to patients during their continuity practice.
  • Pediatric Emergency Medicine Award: Chelsea Zuger, MD. As voted by Emergency Medicine faculty, this award is given to the third-year resident that best exemplifies the attributes required to function independently in the Emergency Department. These skills include, critical thinking and clinical reasoning, data synthesis, multitasking, excellent clinical care and customer service, communication and professionalism.
  • Pediatric Hospitalist Award: Kristin Kalita, MD. As voted by Hospitalist faculty, the award is given to the third-year resident who makes exemplary contributions to hospital medicine, quality improvement, and patient care, and demonstrates proficiency in clinical care, work-ethic, and professionalism.
  • Residency Recruitment Service Award: Adam Green, MD (Assistant Professor, Section of Hematology, Oncology & Bone Marrow Transplantation) and Whitley Hulse, MD. This award, as voted by members of the Department’s Residency Selection Committee, acknowledges the outstanding dedication and service to the residency recruitment and selection process of a faculty member and resident.
  • The Gary L. Way Award for Outstanding Teaching: Oren Kupfer, MD (Assistant Professor, Section of Pulmonary Medicine). As voted by residents, The Gary L. Way award recognizes excellence in teaching and honors a faculty member who teaches with honesty and sincerity, consistently putting the needs of students and house-staff ahead of their own.
  • The James Todd Morning Report & Teaching Excellence Award: Oren Kupfer, MD(Assistant Professor, Section of Pulmonary Medicine). An honor conferred by the Department’s Chief Residents, this award recognizes the significant contribution of time and effort of a faculty member to the “early bird” morning report conference. Upon receiving, this year’s award, Dr. Kupfer proposed naming it in honor of Dr. James Todd for his many years of morning report leadership and mentorship to the next generation of pediatricians.
 
Congratulations to all the award winners and for another successful year of child health education, training, and career development.
 
 
Medical Education Award Winner – Dr. Kaul
 
Congratulations to Paritosh Kaul, MD (Professor, Section of Adolescent Medicine), on earning one of six 2018 Education Awards from the University of Colorado School of Medicine’s Academy of Medical Educators.
The Academy’s Education Awards are given annually to faculty for excellence in medical education. Awardees are nominated by students, residents, fellows, faculty, and peers and given to those faculty who have truly made a difference in trainee's lives through advising or mentoring.
Dr. Kaul’s award was in recognition of Excellence in Mentoring and Advising and the impact he has made as a medical educator and advisor. Dr. Kaul will be formally honored at the Academy of Medical Educator’s Celebration on Thursday July 26.
 
 
Section of Emergency Medicine Rocks PAS
The annual meeting of the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) took place in Toronto from May 5-8. This meeting is the major national academic/scholarly conference for child health specialties, and the premiere showcase for Pediatric Emergency Medicine.
The Section is proud to report that their participation at PAS included: 19 first-authored abstracts, 6 platform presentations, and 2 topic-based workshops.  In total, the Section was first- or co-author on 36 presented abstracts at the meeting – an all-time high mark.
Congratulations to the Section of Emergency Medicine faculty, fellows, and staff for their dedication to advancing pediatric emergency care through clinical research, education, and quality improvement, and for their well-earned success at PAS!
 
 
JDRF Award
 
Congratulations to Petter Bjornstad, MD (Fellow, Section of Endocrinology) for his award from JDRF (previously Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation) titled “Vasopressin activity and intrarenal hemodynamic function in early and advanced diabetic kidney disease.”JDRF is the leading global organization funding type 1 diabetes research.
 
Dr. Bjornstad’s 2-year, $300,000 grant plans to assess the role vasopressin may play in the development of diabetic kidney disease in type 1 diabetes toward gaining a better understanding of how to slow, stop or completely prevent diabetic kidney disease. Vasopressin is an important hormone that is involved in regulating water and salt content in our bodies, in addition to the tone of blood vessels. A high level of vasopressin is associated with greater risk of developing diabetic kidney disease in adults with type 1 diabetes. Understanding how vasopressin relates differently to early and advanced diabetic kidney disease may also lead to important insight into the changes of the innerworkings of the kidney responsible for starting and driving diabetic kidney disease over time.
 
Upon completion of his fellowship training in June, Dr. Bjornstad will be joining the Department of Pediatrics faculty as Assistant Professor in the Section of Endocrinology. Congratulations to Dr. Bjornstad and his mentorship team including, Dr. Kristen Nadeau(Associate Professor of Pediatrics & Director of Research, Section of Endocrinology), Dr. Richard Johnson (Tomas Berl Professor of Medicine, Section of Nephrology), and Dr. Marian J. Rewers (Professor & Executive Director, Barbara Davis Center for Diabetes).
 
 
Swim to Fight Pediatric Cancer in Colorado!
Please join us, along with 14 Olympians – including Colorado’s very own Missy Franklin – as we make waves to fight pediatric cancer in Colorado!  Swim Across America (SAA) is a national non-profit organization that has raised over $70 million for cancer research and clinical trials through open water swims, pool swims and clinics throughout the U.S. 
We are honored to bring SAA to Denver with our Inaugural SAA Denver Open Water Swim on August 26, 2018, hosted at Chatfield Reservoir. Swimmers of all ages and skill levels can swim a half mile, a mile or 5K, professionally timed. The great news is you can wear a regular swim suit along with any equipment you want, including fins and wetsuits, to complete your swim. All funds raised by SAA Denver will benefit pediatric cancer research and clinical trials at Children’s Hospital Colorado’s Center for Cancer & Blood Disorders.
There are several ways you can Make Waves of your own:
  1. Join Team Children’s Colorado. Go to swimacrossamerica.org/Denver and register with Team Children’s Colorado for the Denver Open Water Swim on August 26. Your registration fee counts towards your fundraising goal of $400 (for individuals 18 years and older) or $200 (for individuals under 18 years old).  In addition to an awesome swimming event, there will be Olympians signing autographs, fun music and celebrations. All registered participants will receive an SAA T-shirt and beach towel. The open water swim event is limited to a maximum of 300 swimmers, so register soon if you want to swim.
  2. Form Your Own Team. You can form your very own team, recruit colleagues, or family and friends to swim. Fundraising efforts will count towards your individual goal, as well as the team fundraising goal.
  3. Donate. If you cannot participate, support a colleague, teammate or friend by donating to their fundraising efforts.
  4. You can organize a Pool-a-Thon at your own pool to benefit SAA Denver and Children’s Hospital Colorado. 
  5. Volunteer to help on event day (you will still need to register as a volunteer for the event).
  6. Spread the word. Spread the word to your colleagues, friends and families.
If you would like further information on joining Team Children’s Colorado, setting up your own team, organizing a pool swim, or volunteering, please emailelizabeth.nowak@childrenscolorado.org.
 
As always, for these and other exciting Department of Pediatrics news stories, as well asApril and May newsletters, 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

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Department Chair

Stephen Daniels, MD, PhD

steve daniels

Professor and Chair, Department of Pediatrics
University of Colorado School of Medicine
Pediatrician-in-Chief, Children’s Hospital Colorado
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