Dear Faculty and Friends,
Welcome to the November 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! As always, for these
and other exciting Department of Pediatrics news stories, please visit our Pediatrics
News web page.
PICU Team Delivers
Again on Quality
As measured by Virtual Pediatric Systems
(VPS), clinical and operational outcomes from the Children’s Hospital Colorado
Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) continue to remain among the best in the
nation, with improved survival at lower cost than expected.
On the most recent VPS Comparative Effectiveness and
Operations Report, evaluating data for the 3-year period from April 2016 to
March 2019, the CHCO PICU was once again among the best in the nation. When
considering risk-adjusted mortality (effectiveness) and risk-adjusted length of
stay (efficiency), our PICU team results demonstrated better patient survival at
a lower cost than expected given the complexity of this severely ill patient
population. On one key metric, the standardized mortality ratio (SMR), which
compares predicted to actual mortality, the CHCO PICU ranks first among its
entire peer group.
In other words, “CHCO PICU patients are sicker but survive
at a higher rate than most of our peers,” per Todd Carpenter, MD
(Professor, Section of Critical Care Medicine and PICU Medical Director). These
tremendous results demonstrate the dedication to quality and safety among the
entire PICU team in caring for some of our most vulnerable patients.
New Clinic to Focus on
Challenging Clinical Scenarios
The Department is pleased to announce
the opening of the new Diagnostic Dilemma Clinic at
Children’s Hospital Colorado. The Diagnostic Dilemma Clinic is being launched
to serve children with challenging clinical symptoms who may not have a
complete or unifying diagnosis, despite their primary care physician and
family’s best efforts to establish such.
The goal is that this new service will provide these
patients with a “fresh set of eyes” who will conduct a comprehensive and
coordinated evaluation and provide a care direction for them and their
families.
David Fox, MD (Associate Professor, Section of
General Pediatrics), a Department master clinician, will direct the clinic with
the backing of a team of pediatric subspecialists from a variety of disciplines
whose expertise will be enlisted based on Dr. Fox’s initial assessment of each
child’s unique needs. Dr. Fox will evaluate each appropriately referred case by
gathering and reviewing records and information, having an initial screening
visit with the patient and family, and then assembling the pertinent subspecialty
colleagues most likely to further the patient’s diagnosis and therapeutic
treatment plan.
The Diagnostic Dilemma Clinic will initially convene on an
ad hoc basis, depending on the volume of referrals. To refer an appropriate
patient for Dr. Fox’s review, please call 720-777-6081, and fax records to
720-478-7101.
Olson Furthers Global
Health Research
Congratulations to Dan Olson, MD (Assistant
Professor, Section of Infectious Diseases) for his recent patient-oriented
mentored career development award (K23-AI143967) from the National Institute of
Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) for his research project titled, “Predictors
of Influenza-Associated Absenteeism and Impact of Vaccination in a Cohort of
Guatemalan Agricultural Workers.” The impact of influenza on agricultural
workers in Latin America and the drivers of influenza-associated work absenteeism
are largely unknown.
Dr. Olson aims to study the impact of influenza in a large,
existing cohort of agricultural workers in rural Guatemala, focusing on
predictors of influenza-associated disease severity, absenteeism, and reduced
work productivity. He will then measure the effectiveness of a workplace-based
influenza vaccination program in reducing disease incidence, severity, and
absenteeism.
Reese to Lead
Resiliency Efforts
I am pleased to announce that Jenny
Reese, MD (Associate Professor of Clinical Practice and Head, Section of
Hospital Medicine) has been appointed to the new role of Medical Director of
Provider Wellbeing for Children’s Hospital Colorado, and Director of Faculty
Well-Being for the Department of Pediatrics.
In these roles, Dr. Reese will provide leadership in
efforts to promote well-being among faculty providers and team members at CHCO.
She will partner with CHCO leadership, including Heather Fitzgerald (CHCO
Director of Resiliency, Wellness and Ethics) on these efforts. Dr. Reese has
extensive experience in wellness and resilience programs, having established a
Peer Support Program for providers and an evidence-based well-being curriculum
called “Flourish.” She has also led several team retreats to address system
level drivers of burnout and fatigue and is excited to spread and strengthen
this work. Look for opportunities to enroll in “Flourish” via
Cornerstone.
If you are interested in participating in or partnering
with Dr. Reese in this work, please let her know.
PRiSM Review Process
The Performance Reviews in the School of
Medicine (PRiSM)
is now open to all faculty. Faculty who are 0.5 FTE or greater are required to
complete a review.
Your section’s
PRiSM administrator should have communicated the deadline to submit your
review, which ranges from December 2019 – February 2020. Contact your section’s
PRiSM administrator, your mentor, or your primary reviewer with any questions
or concerns.
New and junior
faculty are encouraged to attend the upcoming PRiSM overview session: “PRiSM
Perplexity: How to Use PRiSM to Your Advantage.” The 90-minute session will be
held on Wednesday, Dec. 4 from 9:30 to 11 a.m. in Mt. Princeton Conference
Room. The session is intended to help faculty tailor PRiSM submissions to their
specific career path. Please RSVP by
Nov. 25.
Faculty Interest Group
Update
The PhD faculty interest group will host
an event titled, “Brand Yourself for Success: Using Social Media in Academic
Medicine,” on Thursday, Jan. 30 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the Mt. Harvard
conference room.
The interactive
event will assist PhD faculty in using social media in academic medicine and
understanding CU policies on social media and methods for responding to others
on social media.
In
closing, on behalf of the entire Department, our deepest sympathies are
extended to Edward Hoffenberg, MD (Professor, Section of Gastroenterology,
Hepatology and Nutrition) and his wife Anna on the untimely death of their son,
Danny Hoffenberg, at the age of 23. Danny had battled congenital heart disease,
including undergoing two heart transplant procedures. As we approach
Thanksgiving and the winter holiday season, we are reminded of the importance
of family and of time spent together.
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