Dear Colleagues, Staff, and Friends,

As I reach my 10-month anniversary as your Department Chair, I find myself reflecting on the months gone by. What truly astonishes me is that I can hardly remember a time when I was not at UVA, and that, I believe, is a testament to how much this department has grown on me, as have you all. It has been a privilege to work alongside this very talented and dedicated team, and I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished thus far while recognizing that we still have a long way to go.

Together, we have laid the groundwork for greater successes ahead, and I continue to be inspired by your commitment to excellence and your willingness to embrace new challenges. The last month has certainly been unusually challenging, and I thank you again for the candor and honesty that you demonstrated at our special faculty meeting when we reviewed recent happenings and shared our thoughts, as well as our hopes for the future. 

Our shared vision for the department has always been to foster a culture of collaboration, innovation, and growth. Over these past months, I’ve seen that vision unfold in remarkable ways. I’m excited about the future and confident that, together, we will continue to achieve great things.

Thank you for your hard work, your support, and your trust. I continue to look forward to the months and years ahead, and I would like to reassure you that the leadership team in pediatrics will always be your strongest advocates.

With heartfelt appreciation,

Madhu Misra, MD, MPH

Benjamin Armistead Shepherd Professor and Chair, Department of Pediatrics, UVA

Physician-in-Chief, UVA Children’s Health

Here are some of the gains for the Department of Pediatrics and the Children’s Hospital over the past six months:

• The Department will host a reception at the Pediatric Academic Societies Meeting (PAS 2025) in Honolulu, April 24-28! Exact date/time/location details will be sent closer to the event. 
• Our search committees for the Division Directors of Pediatric Primary Care, Infectious Diseases, Gastroenterology, and Genetics are working to find the next incumbents for these important roles. We now have finalists for the Division Director positions for Genetics and Infectious Diseases.
• We were approved for the expansion of the residency program by 1 slot per year, with the potential for further increases depending on an ongoing workforce evaluation.
• Brooke Vergales, MD, is now our Lead Fellowship Director for the Department of Pediatrics.
• Amy Wrentmore, MD, is now the Associate Program Director for curriculum development for the Department of Pediatrics. 
• Susan Gray, MD, is our new Vice Chair for Academic Affairs.  
• Anshu Gupta, MD, from VCU, will be our new Vice Chair for Education.
• Rose Emily Gonzalez, PhD, has been appointed the Associate Chair of Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) for the Department of Pediatrics effective June 15, 2024.  
• We continue to grow fast- the Department of Pediatrics now includes 170 faculty members (159 regular, 11 per diem), 85 APPs (including nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and genetic counselors), 26 fellows, 38 residents (12 PGY1, 11 PGY2, 11 PGY3, 2 neurology, 2 chief residents), and 129 administrative staff.

NICU / PICU Expansion

• NICU has expanded to 60 beds. 
• PICU grew to 23 beds in June - the goal is to get to 25 by the end of summer 2025
• Plans for further NICU expansion into the shelled space in the South Tower are ongoing with a successful launch of fundraising efforts in April 2024. 

Pediatric Interventional Cardiac Catheterization Service

Since 2014, UVA Health has been a part of the multi-center Quality Improvement database, Congenital Cardiac Catheterization Project on Outcomes (C3PO), alongside 19 top institutions, including many of the nation’s best pediatric and congenital cardiac programs.

Key achievements from UVA’s 2023 annual report include:

• The lowest Serious Adverse Event Ratio (SAER) among all participants, with moderate adverse events occurring at only 40% of the expected rate.
• A 17% increase in case volume from 2022, handling complex cases on par with larger institutions.
• Despite representing just 3% of the total case volume, UVA accounted for 14% of atretic valve perforations and 7% of neonatal aortic valvuloplasties in the database.
• UVA surpassed national averages with high risk hemodynamic vulnerability scores, procedure times 20-30% shorter than the median, and patient radiation exposure 10-40% lower across all procedure categories.

This remarkable success is thanks to the combined efforts of UVA’s nurses, technicians, physicists, physicians, and a dedicated research team. With such impressive results, UVA stands as one of the leading programs for children with congenital heart disease in the U.S.”UVA stands as one of the leading programs for children with congenital heart disease in the U.S.

UVA’s Medical Transport Network (MTN) has been recognized as a finalist in four national categories by the Association of Air Medical Services, including Program of the Year (MTN) and Neonatal/Pediatric Transport of Excellence (NETS). Other nominations include the Transport Mechanic Award of Excellence (Jim Heller) and the Excellence in Transport Leadership Award (Jermaine Clayborne).

MTN consists of NETS (the neonatal/pediatric critical care transport team), Pegasus Air and Ground, Medic V, and Special Events Medical Management. Pegasus is celebrating 40 years, while NETS will celebrate 50 years in 2025, making them among the most established transport programs in the U.S. NETS recently earned full accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation of Medical Transport Systems (CAMTS) after a thorough review.

The NETS team operates 24/7 with specialized neonatal and pediatric nurses and paramedics who complete extensive training and hold numerous certifications. The team collaborates with UVA Children's Hospital to provide ICU-level care during transport, managing critical procedures and treatments in various emergencies. Their efficiency is exceptional, with rapid response and transport times well below the national average.

NETS has set industry standards for operational quality and safety, consistently maintaining swift mobilization and transport times, which ensures critical patients are safely transferred to UVA Children’s Hospital for advanced care.

      UVA Health Children’s Neurodevelopmental and Behavioral Health

The UVA Health Children’s Neurodevelopmental and Behavioral Health space continues to be on track to open in December 2024. Planning is beginning on the adjacent space that will house primary care and specialty pediatrics.

Looking for help with Mock Interviews

The Pediatric Interest Group is requesting volunteers who would be willing to help with mock interviews for the M4s before they officially start the interview process for residency in Pediatrics.  

If you would be willing to do 1 or 2 mock interviews (approximately 30 minutes each) and provide feedback to that student about what they did well and what they need to improve, this can be hugely beneficial for them before they start official interviews. 

These can be scheduled at times that are convenient for you. A $10 coffee card will be provided to faculty who do interviews!



If you are willing to help, please reach out to Kate Donowitz- kdw9y@uvahealth.org

Virginia Early Childhood Expert Chosen for International Leadership Development Program

Stephanie McNerney, a neurodevelopmental and behavioral pediatric nurse practitioner at UVA Health Children's, has been announced as a member of the 2024-26 Fellowship Class by Zero to Three,  a nonprofit organization dedicated to ensuring all babies and toddlers have a strong start in life. McNerney is the co-founder and medical director of the Village Care Program, which provides support to children in foster care or at risk for disruption. She specializes in collaborative and relationship-focused healthcare at the intersection of disability and marginalization. McNerney expressed her gratitude, saying, "Zero to Three has been a guiding light for me, elucidating neuroscience and early childhood systems, anti-bias, equitable, and just practices, and self-reflection." 

McNerney is one of 20 exceptional early childhood leaders from across the United States and around the world, selected from a pool of 225 applicants. These Fellows represent a range of professional specialties, including infant and early childhood mental health clinical services, program administration, research, and early childhood policy. They serve in urban and rural communities across the U.S., Canada, Kenya, Peru, and Uruguay.  

The 18-month fellowship is designed to support the next generation of early childhood leaders in embracing a courageous, just, and collaborative approach to transforming programs, systems, and policies to give babies and toddlers a strong start in life. Please join us in congratulating McNerney on this outstanding accomplishment!

2024 Patient Experience Award Recipients

Pediatric & Joint Faculty:

• Ariana Greenwell, MD, Otolaryngology
• Douglas Allen, Pediatric Cardiology
• Asma Habib, MD, Pediatric Cardiology
• Andrew Kim, MD, Pediatric Cardiology
• Samantha Minnicozzi, Pediatric Immunology & Rheumatology
• Heather Quillian, Pediatric Primary Care
• Anne Ranney, Pediatric Primary Care
• Elizabeth Schinstock, Pediatric Primary Care
• Matt Thomas, ScM, GC, Pediatric Cardiology

Reorganization of our General Pediatrics Division

Our General Pediatrics division has now been organized into two distinct entities:



1. Division of Pediatric Hospital and Integrative Medicine

2. Division of Primary Care Pediatrics

This strategic realignment aims to enhance leadership and integration within our growing department.

Dr. Anne Ranney is now serving as the Interim Division Director of Primary Care Pediatrics. Dr. Ranney, the Medical Director of Northridge Pediatrics, is a well-respected leader known for her outstanding team and exceptional leadership.

Dr. Lynn McDaniel has assumed the role of Director for the Division of Pediatric Hospital Medicine, which includes Hospital, Newborn, Breastfeeding, and Integrative Medicine. With over 20 years of experience as a pediatric hospitalist, Dr. McDaniel is a Senior Fellow of the Society of Hospital Medicine. She currently serves as the Medical Director of the Acute Pediatric units and Director of Patient Progression at UVA Children’s Hospital. Additionally, she chairs the SHM Pediatrics SIG and is a state delegate on the Virginia AAP Board.

We are immensely proud of the significant growth in General Pediatrics, now comprising over 40 dedicated faculty members, including our wage providers. This reorganization will enable us to better serve our community and continue delivering exceptional care and support to our patients and their families.

Thank you for your unwavering dedication and commitment to excellence. We look forward to this change's positive impact on our department and the community we serve.

Graduating Residents

• Dr. Samuel Baldazo, Next Destination: Pursuing fellowship in palliative care
• Dr. Carly Burchfield, Next Destination: Primary Care in Roanoke
• Dr. Nicole Byram, Next Destination: Primary Care in Richmond
• Dr. Joel Canner, Peds Neuro Residency at UVA
• Dr. Hanna Carroll, Next Destination: PICU Fellowship at UNC
• Dr. Jihae Choi, Next Destination: Pursuing hospital medicine fellowship
• Dr. Rebeca Esquivel, Next Destination: Attending at East Carolina University
• Dr. Lauren Ferguson, Next Destination: UVA Chief Year
• Dr. David, Next destination: Private Practice in Stafford, VA
• Dr. Miriam Mae Lobrano Furr, Next destination: UVA Chief Year
• Dr. Jasmine Ragoowansi, Next destination: Cardiology fellowship at Vanderbilt
• Dr. Krista Roncone, Next destination: LOCUMS with Augusta Health and then heading to Jordan to do humanitarian work with the Syrian refugee population
• Dr. Mackenzie Soderstrum, Next destination: Stay at home mom for a few months then General Pediatrics in Louisiana
• Dr. Cassie Weems, Next destination: Endocrine Fellowship at UVA
• Chiefs 2024-2025: Mae Furr and Lauren Ferguson

Graduating Fellows

• Joshua Reyes, MD, Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, will join our NDBP division as a faculty member in September.
• Theodore Millette, MD, will stay at UVA for a fourth-year fellowship in advanced imaging.
• Aseel Dabbagh, MD, will be going to Children's Mercy Hospital in Kansas City to do General Pediatric Cardiology

Please continue to be proactive about nominating your colleagues for these and other awards. Also, if you would like to be nominated for an award, please let Dr. Gray or me know so we can look into this.

Admin

• The fourth-year students had a great discussion with our wonderful pediatric residents about the application process as they prepared to submit their applications.  This was organized by our Pediatric Interest Group leaders, Seth Tersteeg, Paige Howard, and Awa Franklin.  The event was well attended and enjoyed by both residents and students. Josh Reyes, MD, and Kate Donowitz, MD are excited to continue supporting Seth, Awa, and Paige’s efforts this year. They plan to hold a pediatric subspecialist panel to help early medical students understand the variety of career paths within pediatrics and pilot a new mentorship program for medical students interested in pediatrics.  We are also very grateful to our residents and residency leadership for their support. Thank you to everyone!

Adolescent

• Susan Gray, MD, had an article published online in Archives of Disease in Childhood. Free to access link: http://adc.bmj.com/cgi/rapidpdf/archdischild-2024-326968?ijkey=U4uTB6FUOJLHPZI&keytype=ref
• Susan Gray, MD, has been invited to join the Editorial Board of Archives of Diseases in Childhood as Associate Editor

Cardiology

• Mike McCulloch, MD, has received the notice of award for his AHRQ grant  

CHRC

• Jason Smith’s first author manuscript was just accepted in Hypertension!
• The manuscript "An efficient inducible model for the control of gene expression in renin cells" by Silvia Medrano, Manako Yamaguchi, Lucas Ferreira Almeida, Jason Paul Smith, Hiroki Yamaguchi, Curt D. Sigmund, Maria Luisa S. Sequeira Lopez and R. Ariel Gomez has been accepted for publication in American Journal of Physiology-Renal Physiology and will be published online as an Article in Press (AiPS) within approximately two weeks. 
• Maria Luisa S. Sequeira Lopez, MD, FAHA, has been elected member of the UVA Faculty Senate from the School of Medicine

Education

• Rebeca Esquivel-Zuniga, MD, is working to get undocumented Spanish-speaking children into school by volunteering her time on weekends to do physicals and calling families personally to explain where Birdsong is and why it is important to bring vaccine records.
• Linda Waggoner-Fountain, MD, has been recognized by the ACGME Review Committee for the many hours dedicated as a volunteer.

Endocrinology

• Madhu Misra, MD, MPH, is a multiple PI on a newly awarded R01 grant to examine the impact of romosozumab (followed by zoledronic acid) in improving bone outcomes in young women with functional hypothalamic amenorrhea.

Genetics

• Shelley Towner, Senior Genetic Counselor, has been accepted into the UVA Health Leadership Institute for the next session

Hospital and Integrative Medicine

• The MSTP students have elected Evelyn Abogye, MD as the 2023-2024 Todorovic Clinical Teacher of the Year.  

Infectious Diseases

• Dr. Nataro’s vaccine against enterotoxigenic E coli (principal cause of traveler’s diarrhea) has been licensed by Valneva, in anticipation of clinical trials- done with collaborators at the University of Bergen, Norway. 

Medical Transport Network, Newborn Emergency Transport System

• Achieved full reaccreditation by the Commission on Accreditation of Medical Transport Systems (CAMTS)!

Neonatology

• Congratulations to Dr. Jennifer Burnsed on being awarded $15,000 by the UVA Brain Institute for her project “Neural plasticity in neonatal stroke”.
• Congratulations to Dr. Peter Murray for publishing a thoughtful opinion piece “A Bronx Dad’s Tale” in JAMA.

Hematology/Oncology

• Mike Engel, MD, was a guest speaker for a radio interview on the Joe Thomas Show, "Caring Beyond Cancer"
• Received a $59K donation from Branch Builders to our Pediatric Cancer Program, Mike Engel, MD, spoke at the event.

Neurodevelopmental

• Governor Youngkin appointed Dr. Beth Ellen Davis to the Virginia Autism Advisory Council.
• Erika Axeen, MD, and Katheryn Frazier, MD, developed the Clinic for Autism and Pediatric Epilepsy (CAPE) at UVA Health Children’s

Nephrology

• Agnes Urban published the following manuscript: LMTK2 switches on canonical TGF-β1 signaling in human bronchial epithelia. American Journal of Physiology-Lung Cellular and Molecular Physiology

Primary Care Pediatrics

• Ann Kellams, MD, is featured in the Woman of the Month article on the Committee on Women in Medicine and Science (COWIMS) webpage.
• Amy Wrentmore, MD, is one of this year’s recipients of the Dean’s Excellence in Teaching Award.

Psychology

• Emily R. Gonzalez, PhD, Associate Chair of Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) for the Department of Pediatrics effective June 15, 2024.
• Dr. Emily Gonzalez was invited to speak at the NASEM virtual listening session on considerations for dual language learners, as part of the Board on Children, Youth, and Families’ study on the Effects of Active Shooter Drills on Student Health and Wellbeing

Respiratory

• Brittany Wall, MD, will be featured in UVA Health news in their Hope at Work series
• Gerald Teague, MD, is featured locally and on TV stations nationally discussing a previously unknown cause of wheezing in children.

Telehealth

• Karen Rheuban, MD, has received the 2024 Meritorious Service Award from the Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association (VHHA).

New & Upcoming Additions

• Julia (Julie) Lovin, 12/1/2024, Starts Assistant Professor position - Ped Cardio 
• Aaron Misakian, 12/1/2024, Endo clinical faculty
• Emily O'Gorman, 12/1/24, Faculty joins Allergy
• Seth Morrison, 11/1/2024, Faculty joins Gastroenterology (75% research)
• Anshu Gupta, 10/12/2024, Faculty joins Endocrinology and a Vice Chair for Education
• Josh Reyes, 9/1/2024, Faculty joined Developmental
• Kara Coffey, 9/1/2024, Faculty joined Respiratory Medicine, Allergy, and Immunology
• Lindsay Riordan, 9/1/2024, Faculty joined General Pediatrics - Northridge
• Curtis Kovaleski, 9/1/24, Faculty joined Critical Care