Pediatric Crier

Volume 16, No. 5, May, 2013

International Medicine–West Indies

Shelly- Ann Williams
I was given the opportunity to do an international elective in my home country, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and it was an amazing experience. I was reminded of how different the practice of medicine is around the world. There are no pediatric subspecialties in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, thus I learned a great deal about clinical skills, as the pediatricians have to diagnose many conditions without the “luxuries” of consults or imaging studies. During my elective, I worked alongside Dr. Bharati Datta, one the attending pediatricians (who was also my pediatrician) learning from her as we worked on the wards and while we set up for the annual pediatric cardiology mission from World Pediatric Project.

World Pediatric Project is a non-profit organization that is based in Richmond, Virginia and also in St. Louis, Missouri that provides tertiary diagnostic and surgical care to children in the Caribbean and Central America. Every year, there is a pediatric cardiology mission that comes to St. Vincent and I had the opportunity to work with Dr William Moskowitz, Chair of the Division of Pediatric Cardiology at Children’s Hospital of Richmond, who is the visiting cardiologist during these yearly missions. During the year, patients are diagnosed and treated clinically by the pediatricians until they have their echos during the yearly visits. For the patients that require surgical intervention, their cases are discussed after the mission and then plans are made to have these patients travel to Richmond for further management. This is usually at no cost to the patient.

Recently, the Ministry of Health and the Environment in St. Vincent and the Grenadines began a National Campaign for the Prevention and Control of Rheumatic Fever and Rheumatic Heart Disease. This was incorporated into the annual mission and as a result, we saw both adult and pediatric patients, Over the course of the 4-day clinic, we saw over 200 patients all of them receiving echocardiograms.

My experience was one I will never forget. I was inspired by Dr. Datta’s dedication to the children of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, as she often has to work with limited resources. It strengthened my desire to work in international health care and I am hoping to be able to do this again!

Two for Two

The Department of Pediatrics was informed that we have been selected for the clinical department teaching award this year! This is the second time in a row in which we have received this honor. The Syracuse Medical Alumni Association Clinical Department Teaching Award is presented to a Clinical Department held in esteem by the graduating students. It is awarded annually and will be presented at Commencement on Sunday, May 19th.

Two More for Two

Congratulations to Tri Nguyen and Aamer Imdad for both being recipients of this year’s GME resident excellence awards. Aamer Imdad received the Outstanding Resident Award for Research for 2013 and Tri Nguyen won the Outstanding Resident Award for Teaching. Their awards will be presented formally at a luncheon on May 22nd. Needless to say, we are very proud of both of them.

One for Two (Thousand)

Yet another resident is to be congratulated. Steve Hicks was informed that he will be the recipient of an AAP Resident CATCH grant of over $2000 for his SyraYouth Exercise and Nutrition Program (which was previously reported on in the October 2012 Crier). Congratulations, Steve!

One for Tow

Congratulations to our very own Dr. Gloria Kennedy who was the faculty award winner of this year’s Leonard Tow Humanism Award. This award, sponsored by the Arnold P. Gold Foundation is presented to the faculty member who best demonstrates the Foundation's ideals of outstanding compassion in the delivery of care, respect for patients, their families, and healthcare colleagues, as well as demonstrated clinical excellence.

One for One More

Congratulations to our very own Dr. Ann Botash for taking first place in the 2013 Bruce Dearing Writing contest. She won first prize in the category of Faculty/Employee Prose with her story entitled, "Whistling Willy’s Love Song". I am sure she would be willing to autograph your copy of "The Healing Muse" for you when it is released in October.

The Next Generation

You may have noticed hundreds of blue pinwheels out in front of Weiskotten Hall at the end of April. Upstate Medical students raised $200 for the McMahon/Ryan Child Advocacy Center in the recent Child Abuse awareness campaign. If you look closely at the picture in the “With Distinction” blog of the students involved in the program you may notice one of them is the next generation of Upstate Child Abuse advocates.

Outstanding Lifetime Contributions

At the APPD (Association of Pediatric Program Directors) meeting in April, former faculty member and residency director James A. Stockman III, MD was presented with a special award by the APPD for Outstanding Lifetime Contributions to Pediatric Medical Education and the Development of Pediatricians. Dr. Stockman is Senior Advisor for the American Board of Pediatrics (ABP) and Senior Fellow for the ABP Foundation. Previously, Dr. Stockman served 20 years as President and CEO of the ABP and the ABP Foundation.

Dr. Stockman completed a Pediatric Heme/Onc fellowship at Upstate in 1974. He was appointed Assistant Professor of Pediatrics and was promoted to Associate Professor and Vice-Chair in 1977. He became a Full Professor in 1981. During this period, he was also Co-Director of the Pediatric Residency Program with Dr. Howard Weinberger. He left Upstate in 1984, to become the Chair of the Dept of Pediatrics at Northwestern University Medical School in Chicago. He is currently a Professor of Clinical Pediatrics at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Duke University Medical School. He has authored more than 200 publications, including several widely respected books in the field. The Association of Pediatric Program Directors (APPD) presented Dr. Stockman with a Special Award for Outstanding Lifetime Contributions to Pediatric Medical Education and the Development of Pediatricians.

Accepted For Publication

By Jana Shaw
The Crier received this exciting announcement from Dr. Shaw: "Our manuscript has been accepted to Pediatrics. I did not know if that is something you want to mention in your next Crier as Aamer is a co-author. I think it is a remarkable achievement for anybody especially a junior faculty and a resident. Pediatrics is a very prestigious journal with highest index impact in the field of pediatrics. I think it is news worth spreading :-). – Jana"

The Title of the article is, "Religious Exemptions for Immunization and Risk of Pertussis in New York State, 2000-2011" by Imdad, A; Tserenpuntsag, B; Blog, D; Halsey, N Easton, D; and Shaw, J. Congratulations Aamer and Jana!

Appreciating Child Life

March was Child Life Month and in celebration of our Child Life Specialists, Music and Art Therapists, everyone was treated to a picnic spread! Invites came in paper lunch sacks and everyone joined together in the Performance Center to feast on wraps, salads, chips, fruit, cookies and lemonade cupcakes. Dr. Welch and Linda posed as "picnic drink specialists" serving up peach iced tea and lemonade. Each picnic goer left with a picnic place mat and a mason jar filled with treats.

Thank you again to Child Life, not only in the month of March, but for all you do for our CGH children and families throughout the year.

A Return Visit

Former resident Dani Mouawad (Class of 1997) will be returning to Syracuse to present Grand Rounds on Wednesday, May 22nd. After being in private practice for 13 years he completed a fellowship in Integrative Medicine and is now living in Chapel Hill with his wife and four kids. Dani tells the Crier, "The four of ours (Dalia, Rania, Michael and Raphael) are enjoying the Emerson Waldorf School, an educational system founded on Rudolf Steiner's principles. Rula and I just launched our new model of integrative medical practice. You are welcome to visit our site at www.imevpc.com. It is a contemplative space where the patient can explore the deeper wounds and respond with well tailored tools geared toward self empowerment and healing. Lots of energy is being invested in the Integrative Healing Center IHC (under construction). The IHC is setting into mission a demonstrative project dedicated to address as many of the root causes of health concerns while providing an experiential and restorative model of health and healing". You can hear more about Dani's new practice at Grand Rounds.

Quite a Surprise!

Carol Plumley was recently surprised with shouts of "Happy Birthday", noisemakers, great food and an inflatable dinosaur at her special surprise birthday party given by her friends and co-workers in the Monet Room.

Pediatric Star-of-the-Month

By Lisa Blystone
The Pediatric Stars-of-the-Month are Katie Fry and Brian Tran for their extra efforts to take care of patients and help out their colleagues, even if it meant losing sleep! They are true stars! Katie and Brian, please check in with Patty or Lisa to pick out your Stars prize!

In Memory

Former resident and local pediatrician/allergy specialist Anne Livingstone, M.D, passed away on 4/23/13. Our thoughts and prayers go out to her family and loved ones. Her obituary can be viewed on the Syracuse.com web site.

Shoes for Kids

Laurie Rupracht, a nurse in the CDBG, is going on a mission to Ghana in May. Laurie is asking for donations of any children's shoes or sandals, gently used or new (for ages 5-16 girls and boys). The shoes will be donated when they visit schools. Donations are needed by May 15, 2013. You can drop them off at Sherri Clarry's office (Room 5400), University Hospital or Laurie is located in Suite 112, POB. She offered to come and pick up any donations at your location if that is easier. Just get in touch with her via GroupWise. As always, thank you in advance for your generosity.

Pediatric Fine Arts

This month we feature another picture submitted by nature photographer (and second year resident), Jenny Lin.

MAY BIRTHDAYS
5/3 Vanessa Orrego
5/7 Sue Stred, Stephanie Oliva
5/8 Asalim Thabet
5/9 Ran Anbar,
5/10 Tim Hatch,
5/11 Chris Lopez,
5/12 Sherri Clarry,
5/14 Zafer Soultan,
5/15 Dave Sadowitz
5/16 Nandita Singh
5/18 Debby Carlson
5/20 Lou Pellegrino
5/23 Ellen Bifano

For past issues of the Pediatric Crier visit our Online Archives.