February 4, 2019

When Blessing Quartey was born, she was only 24 weeks old and weighed just 1.8 pounds.

To help boost her growth, Blessing’s mother, Eva Nehikare, agreed to enter her daughter into an ongoing study at Texas Children’s Pavilion for Women focused on the benefits of an exclusive human milk-based diet in extremely low-birth-weight babies. Five months later, Eva is thankful she did.

“Shortly after she got into the study, you could see her becoming more muscular and full,” Eva said. “When you look at her now, you would never know she is a preemie.”

Today, Blessing weighs 8 pounds. She is steadily gaining weight and growing, and was discharged from the hospital just before the holidays.

Dr. Amy Hair, neonatologist and director of the neonatal nutrition program at Texas Children’s Hospital, is leading the study Blessing is in and said the infant’s outcome isn’t uncommon.

“We’ve known for a while that a human milk-based diet is best for low-birth-weight babies,” Hair said, noting that Texas Children’s was the first pediatric hospital to adopt an exclusive human milk-based diet in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) in 2009. “Now, we have a study and outcomes to back us up.”

Hair recently published some of the study’s outcomes in the BMJ, one of the world’s oldest and most highly revered peer-reviewed medical journals.

Specifically, the study looked at the benefits of an exclusive human milk-based diet in 51 premature infants. It compared post-discharge growth, obesity and metabolic outcomes of appropriate for gestational age (AGA) premature infants versus small for gestational age (SGA) premature infants who were fed an exclusive human milk-based diet in the NICU.

The first to look at long-term post-discharge growth of this population, the study found that at 2-years-old SGA premature infants who received an exclusive human milk-based diet showed greater catch-up growth without increased obesity or elevated insulin resistance compared with AGA premature infants. These findings suggest an exclusive human milk-based diet in the NICU could lead to favorable metabolic outcomes in SGA children.

“Historically, we have overfed premature babies with either formula or cow-based fortifier, which has led to a higher risk of heart disease and metabolic problems as young adults,” Hair said. “This study proves that feeding with human milk and human milk fortifier, low-birth-weight babies grow in a healthier manner. The study also challenges the current belief that SGA babies will never catch up to their counterparts. We are seeing that they are.”

Hair said the next paper to come out about the study will focus on participants’ neurodevelopment. She added that she and her partners have seen positive results and that the families involved are extremely pleased and more than willing to participate and come in for follow-up visits.

“I am so thankful for all of the care my daughter and I received at the Pavilion for Women,” Eva said. “The opportunity for us to be a part of this was an honor.”

On February 1, Texas Children’s officially welcomed Dr. Brian Smith as the new chief of the Division of Orthopedic Surgery.

“I am delighted that Dr. Smith has joined the Texas Children’s family,” said Surgeon-in-Chief Dr. Larry Hollier. “We believe he will provide seasoned leadership and mentorship for our Orthopedic Surgery faculty and staff.”

As chief of the Division of Orthopedic Surgery, Smith now helms one of the premier pediatric orthopedic surgery programs in the nation, with extensive expertise in the treatment of a variety of conditions, from minor fractures and sports-related injuries, to complex trauma and congenital and developmental disorders.

“I am honored and humbled to join the faculty at one of the very best children’s hospitals and pediatric orthopedic surgery programs in the country,” said Smith. “This division is poised to rise to an even higher level, and I couldn’t be more excited to help it get there.”

Smith joins Texas Children’s from Yale New Haven Children’s Hospital, where he served as Director of Pediatric Orthopedics for the past 11 years and also as Interim Surgeon-in-Chief from 2011 to 2012. Additionally, he served as Yale School of Medicine’s Orthopedic Surgery Residency Director from 2012 to 2018, with 25 residents and rotations at five area institutions.

Smith earned his medical degree and completed his orthopedic residency at Georgetown University School of Medicine before serving four years in the U.S. Air Force as an orthopedic surgeon, where he held the rank of major. He then completed a fellowship in pediatric orthopedic surgery at Boston Children’s Hospital.

Clinically, Smith’s primary interests are spinal deformities and spine surgery. Research interests include spinal deformity in children, maturity indicators in children to assess risk of scoliosis progression, and neuromuscular disorders and fractures.

An active member of the orthopedic professional community, Smith has served on the Board of Directors for the American Academy of Orthopaedics and the orthopedic section of the American Academy of Pediatrics. He has also been health council chair for the Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America and chairman of the ethics committee for the Scoliosis Research Society.

In addition to his clinical and research expertise, Smith brings a bright vision of the future for the Division of Orthopedic Surgery.

“My goal is to help us achieve even greater recognition as one of the preeminent destinations nationally and internationally for pediatric orthopedic care,” Smith said. “The opportunity to help this team reach new heights in terms of improving patient care and outcomes, facilitating research, and educating the next generation of pediatric orthopedists is incredible, and I’m looking forward to meeting the challenge.”

Learn more about the Division of Orthopedics and the services we offer.

Susan Kirk, a physician’s assistant with Texas Children’s Hematology Center, has been nationally recognized for earning a specialty credential called a Certificate of Added Qualifications (CAQ) from the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA).

Kirk was recognized for earning a CAQ in Pediatrics, a distinction earned by meeting licensure, education and experience requirements and then passing a national exam in the specialty. She is one 13 certified PAs in Texas to earn a CAQ in Pediatrics since the program’s inception in 2014.

As a 7-year veteran of the hospital, Kirk said she pursued a CAQ in pediatrics to demonstrate her dedication to the field and validate her subspecialty skills.

“Certified PAs who earn the CAQ demonstrate a strong commitment to lifelong learning and attention to evolving medical advancements in their area of practice,” says Dawn Morton-Rias, president and CEO of NCCPA. “Not only have they maintained certification through continuing medical education programs and assessments throughout their careers, they have pursued and been awarded this additional credential that attests to their knowledge and skills in their specialty.”

CAQs are offered to certified PAs in seven specialties: cardiovascular and thoracic surgery, emergency medicine, hospital medicine, orthopaedic surgery, nephrology, pediatrics and psychiatry.

The National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA) is the only certifying organization for PAs in the United States. The PA-C credential is awarded by NCCPA to PAs who fulfill certification, certification maintenance and recertification requirements. There are more than 131,000 certified PAs in the U.S. today. For more information, visit www.PAsDoThat.net.

January 28, 2019

 

Director of Texas Children’s Trauma and Grief Center Dr. Julie Kaplow was recently named Chief of Psychology.

Kaplow, who also serves as head of psychology in the Department of Pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine, is an expert in childhood trauma and bereavement. As director of the Trauma and Grief Center, a SAMHSA-funded Treatment and Service Adaptation Center of the National Child Traumatic Stress Network, Kaplow oversees evidence-based assessment, treatment and research with youth and families exposed to traumas and/or losses, and develops and disseminates trauma- and bereavement-informed “best practices” to community providers nationwide.

A strong proponent of a scientist-practitioner approach, Kaplow’s primary research interests focus on the biological, behavioral and psychological consequences of childhood trauma and bereavement, with an emphasis on therapeutically modifiable factors that can be used to inform psychosocial interventions. Kaplow’s ongoing studies examine the effectiveness of treatments for various populations of youth including those with a history of trauma, youth exposed to traumatic bereavement, and youth anticipating the death of a loved one.

Shortly after joining Texas Children’s, Kaplow helped launch the Harvey Resiliency and Recovery Program, dedicated to serving the needs of the many children and families adversely affected by the storm and its aftermath. She was also integral in the creation of the Santa Fe Strong Resiliency Center, along with the Gulf Coast Center and others in the Santa Fe community, to provide mental health services to those impacted by the shooting. These efforts have been made possible by the generous support of the Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund, New York Life Foundation, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Rebuild Texas Fund, Center for Disaster Philanthropy, Children’s Health Fund, and the JPB Foundation. Additional funding for the Santa Fe Strong Resiliency Center was provided by the Victims of Crime Act.

Kaplow is also actively engaged in community-based participatory research. She leads a practice-research network of sites across the country (including community clinics, grief support organizations, schools and academic medical centers) that use “common denominator” theory, assessment tools and interventions to address the unique needs and strengths of bereaved youth and families.

Kaplow earned her Ph.D. degree in clinical psychology from Duke University in 2002. She completed her internship at Harvard Medical School/Boston Children’s Hospital and a postdoctoral fellowship in childhood trauma at Boston Medical Center. She is board-certified by the American Board of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology of the American Board of Professional Psychology.

To learn more visit texaschildrens.org/departments/psychology.

Your name, title and department. How long have you worked here?
My name is Deborah Bozek, Renal/Pheresis Nurse in the Renal/Pheresis Department. I have worked here almost two years.

Tell us how you found out you won a super star award.
We were gathered around the nurses’ station for a huddle. Everyone was there including the managers, director and assistant director. When someone said I had gotten a super star award, I was in a kind of shock. It was surreal.

What does it mean to be recognized for the hard work you do? How has the organization helped you achieve your personal and professional goals?
It is very humbling to be recognized because I feel like everyone in my department is a super star and comes to work and gives 110 percent every day. I work with an amazing group of professionals. Achieving my goals is a work in progress. Even though I have been a nurse for 25 years, I still have so many things I want to learn. There are many learning opportunities in my unit.

What do you think makes someone at Texas Children’s a super star?
A commitment to excellence in patient care and going that extra mile to help your coworkers.

What is your motivation for going above and beyond every day at work?
Every child deserves the best chance we can give them.

What is the best thing about working at Texas Children’s?
My amazing coworkers, their dedication, their knowledge, their generous spirits.

What does it mean to you that everyone at Texas Children’s is considered a leader? What is your leadership definition?
A leader is someone who can recognize the strengths of other people, then have the ability to channel that particular strength into furthering the mission of Texas Children’s.

Anything else you want to share?
I want to say thank you to my manager Julie Palmer for nominating me for this award. I want to thank my husband for being so supportive of me throughout my career.

Drs. Jimmy Espinoza and Alex Vidaeff were recently honored by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologist (ACOG) for preparing new guidelines for the management and prevention of complications of pregnancy including preeclampsia and gestational hypertension as well as chronic hypertension during pregnancy.

These pregnancy complications are among the leading causes of maternal death in the United States and abroad. The new guidelines on how to manage and prevent these complications were published in Obstetrics and Gynecology the official journal of the ACOG.

“Your contributions to the medical literature on hypertensive disorders in pregnancy were paramount in helping the Practice Bulletin Committee – Obstetrics develop and implement these two critical documents,” said Dr. Mark Turrentine, chair of the ACOG Bulletin Committee – Obstetrics. “While ACOG does not state its guidelines should be considered the standard of care, I suspect these documents will be utilized to guide clinician’s management of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy not only in the United States, but worldwide.”

Turrentine also said the appropriate treatment of hypertensive diseases in pregnancy may be the most important focus of our attempts to improve maternal mortality and morbidity in the United States, and that the new guidelines will focus clinicians on providing the right and the best care based on the latest and soundest available evidence.

Espinoza’s clinical interests include the pregnancy complications listed above; in addition, his clinical and research interest include prenatal diagnosis of congenital defects with emphasis of congenital heart defects as well as fetal interventions including laser photocoagulation of placental anastomoses in twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome, fetoscopic tracheal occlusion in cases of severe congenital diaphragmatic hernia and open/fetoscopic repair of spina bifida among other interventions. He is board certified in Obstetrics and Gynecology and serves as co-director of the Fetal Center and in the Division of Fetal Intervention and Therapy at Baylor College of Medicine. Espinoza earned his medical degree at San Fernando Faculty of Medicine, University of San Marcos in Lima, Peru. He completed his residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at William Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak, MI. Espinoza earned his Master in Science in Reproductive Health at the University of Cardiff, Wales, where he graduate with distinction, followed by a Diploma in Fetal Medicine under the auspices of the Fetal Medicine Foundation in London, UK.

Vidaeff has extensive experience in the management of multiple pregnancies, preterm labor, and preeclampsia. He specializes in the management of medical complications in pregnancy. Vidaeff is board certified in Obstetrics and Gynecology and in Maternal-Fetal Medicine. He completed his residency at Temple University in Philadelphia. He completed his fellowship training in Maternal-Fetal Medicine at The University of Texas Medical School at Houston. Vidaeff also holds a Masters in Public Health from The University of Texas School of Public Health at Houston. He is the chairman of the steering committee of the World Organization Gestosis, international organization for the study of pathophysiology of pregnancy.

January 22, 2019

A group of more than 30 Texas Children’s pediatric cardiac intensive care medicine experts – including intensivists, nurse practitioners, cardiologists, cardiovascular surgeons and nurses – recently attended the 14th International Meeting of the Pediatric Cardiac Intensive Care Society (PCICS) in Miami, Florida. It was the largest conference in the society’s history, with more than 700 participants from across the nation and around the world.

Texas Children’s presence was felt throughout the event. Not only were we an institutional sponsor, but our cardiac critical care expertise was on display, with our specialists leading or participating in 40 programs, meetings, research presentations and pro/con debates, which covered a variety of clinical topics, including:

  • Simulation and quality improvement
  • Managing cardiac arrest
  • Bedside rounds
  • Ethics and social media
  • Approaches to single ventricle neonate management
  • Effective communication and counseling
  • CICU monitoring
  • VAD management
  • Healthy work environments
  • Global perspectives on CICU education

“As an educational opportunity, this event is extremely important for our people, as it highlights important new research, training initiatives and innovations for patients,” said Dr. Paul Checchia, Texas Children’s associate chief of Critical Care Medicine and immediate past president of PCICS. “But it also allows Texas Children’s faculty and staff, who are recognized leaders in this field on an international level, to showcase their thought leadership and to educate others.”

PCICS is an international forum with more than 1,000 members worldwide that promotes excellence in pediatric cardiac intensive care medicine. The annual meeting – the only one of its kind dedicated exclusively to pediatric to pediatric cardiac critical care – plays a large role in the advancement of research and training that has the ability to improve the care of pediatric patients with congenital heart diseases and acquired cardiovascular diseases.

“PCICS is the premier scientific meeting of our field, and Texas Children’s ‘swept the board’ at this year’s meeting,” said Chief of Critical Care Dr. Lara Shekerdemian. “I am particularly proud that all of our clinician groups that included nursing were so strongly represented. This reflects our belief in the importance of collaboration at every level – from clinical care to academic productivity.”

This year’s PCICS conference held additional significance for Texas Children’s as Checchia was honored with the Anthony Chang Lectureship, the only named lecture in the field of pediatric cardiac intensive care medicine. The award is named in honor of Dr. Anthony Chang, who founded PCICS 20 years ago. The Anthony C. Chang Award for Excellence in Pediatric Cardiac Intensive Care recognizes an attending physician who has made exemplary contributions to the field of pediatric cardiac intensive care and to PCICS, and who is making a positive difference in the lives of colleagues, patients and families, as well as in the communities where they live.

About Texas Children’s Cardiac ICU

Texas Children’s 48-bed CICU is one of the largest and most active units in the nation, and a vital part of the complete continuum of care offered by Texas Children’s Heart Center® – No. 1 in Pediatric Cardiology and Congenital Heart Surgery in the country, according to U.S. News & World Report.

Every year, we admit more than 1,000 children with heart disease, the majority of whom have undergone heart surgery. And we provide comprehensive, specialized care for each child’s individual cardiac condition.

Our multidisciplinary team includes cardiac intensivists, cardiologists, cardiac surgeons, cardiac anesthesiologists, perfusionists, advanced practice providers, nurses and respiratory therapists, all working collaboratively to provide the best care and outcomes for patients. State-of-the-art facilities coupled with dynamic decision-making in the CICU allow our team to carefully analyze each child’s case and deliver a customized care experience. Additionally, we are a recognized leader in cardiac critical care education and are dedicated to training the next generation of specialists and nurses on caring for a patient population with complex needs and interventions.

Learn more about Texas Children’s CICU.