University of Colorado Department of Pediatrics

Dear Faculty and Friends,

During this unprecedented time, it is important that we recognize the amazing efforts of so many of our faculty, trainees and staff. As we’ve confronted this pandemic, all of you have made countless acts of volunteerism and sacrifice – THANK YOU. I am proud of the way our Department and our colleagues at Children’s Colorado Hospitals and across the Anschutz Medical campus have rallied to support each other.

Here are the people, as recognized by their peers, who are going above and beyond in their efforts to combat the pandemic and continue to foster our unrivaled culture of collaboration. Here are this week’s “Coronavirus Heroes.”

Andrew Rohloff, House supervisor, CHCO Colorado Springs

Nominated by Michael Wittkamp, MD

Why Andrew?

Andrew is a great house supervisor who was tapped to set up and run our COVID-19 PPE Guardian program in Colorado Springs. His was a huge undertaking that included training, scheduling, and coordinating with multiple departments within the hospital. He approached the project with an incredible level of personal accountability. He fielded calls constantly and responded swiftly to ensure that our hospital staff was kept as safe as possible during this challenging time. He never let the pressure manifest as frustration, and his response was always “We'll take care of it.” Thanks Andrew!

Sandra Friedman, MD, MPH/MSPH, Professor, Section Head, Developmental Pediatrics.

Anonymous Nomination

Why Sandy?

Dr. Friedman has demonstrated true leadership for Developmental Pediatrics and JFK Partners. Her strong and consistent communication, both to the section and to individuals, has allowed teams to remain cohesive and problem solve successfully. She remains dedicated to patient and staff safety but also finds solutions to serve clinically and advance research. During the peak of the COVID-19 crisis, Dr. Friedman provided daily updates with resourceful information and critical next steps. She has conducted weekly townhalls with clear agendas and encouraged team morale and wellness. She delegated and pulled together a unit of clinicians and administrators that are keeping our teams organized. From a personal level, I have been reassured and motivated working alongside her to serve our population.

Amanda Schaefer, CPNP, Instructor, General Pediatrics.

Nominated by Maya Bunik (MD), Maureen Lenssen (PNP), Chris Stille (MD, MPH/MSPH), and Christina Suh (MD)

Why Amanda?

Amanda has been a steady, hard-working, and dedicated member of our team. Throughout all the changes that we have made in CHCO due to COVID-19, Amanda has been a calm and thoughtful presence with a wonderful attitude. She has been flexible in stepping up to whatever provider role needs to be done—whether telehealth, car screening, or secondary triage—in addition to her usual PNP and attending roles. She has been a great resource for faculty and residents in navigating new telehealth challenges such as language interpretation and problem solving IT issues. She is a compassionate provider beloved by her patients and the entire CHCO team. Thank you, Amanda, for everything you do!  We are grateful to have you on our team!

Marion Sills, MD, Co-Chair, Department of Pediatrics Scientific Advisory Committee, Emergency Medicine.

Nominated by Mark Roback, MD

Why Marion?

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Sills has served the DOP and Section of Emergency Medicine as a content expert and important resource on COVID-19. In her role as co-chair of the DOP Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC), Dr. Sills has provided us with vital information pertaining to all things COVID-19. From PPE and testing to the Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C), Dr. Sills and her SAC colleagues have kept CHCO providers and staff updated on the latest data on the epidemiology of COVID-19 along with diagnostic and treatment recommendations and outcomes. We greatly appreciate her efforts.

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