Thank you to everyone who has helped with the recovery efforts after Hurricane Helene left devastating damage across the western part of our state. There is a long road ahead; if you are interested in volunteering to help, please let me know. |
NC Children’s planning is continuing to progress! We recently had a master planning kickoff meeting with some clinical and operational leaders across UNC Children’s and UNC Health, four patient advisors, and partners from our master planning firm. These conversations mark the beginning of our campus master planning work and will help create the project vision, guiding principles, and design guidelines for NC Children’s. We will need all of you involved in the coming years!. Please see the latest NC Children’s updates here.
| We recently hosted the first ever Hospital Pediatrics fellows from NC, VA, and SC here at UNC for a regional fellows conference. Eleven fellows and thirteen faculty from across North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia attended. It was a great success! Attendees worked on professional and academic development and building a collaborative academic community across the PHM fellowship programs in our region. See the picture below! Thanks to Dr. Jennifer Fuchs, Dr. Wade Harrison, Gonzalo Loza and others who helped organize the conference! | |
I am excited to share that Dr. Yael Shiloh-Malawsky, Dr. Elizabeth Jalazo, Dr. Jane Fan, and Dr. Jamie Capal worked with the ForeBatten Foundation to offer the n-of-2 personalized ASO study to two sisters. The two sisters just received their second dosage at UNC. This is a huge success for these parents, children, and researchers. See more information in the ForeBatten Foundation Press Release and in Vital Signs. | |
The UNC Pediatric Anesthesia fellowship hosted its annual SPEAR (Southeast PEdiatric Anesthesia Region) Bootcamp at Roper Hall on Friday, September 27. Faculty from UNC, MUSC, Scope Anesthesia, Vanderbilt, University of Miami Florida, and Mayo Jacksonville presented to teach 10 fellows from four different institutions across the Southeast. | |
Starting in July 2025, we will be increasing our total pediatric resident complement by 4 each year. A big thank you to Dr. Kenya McNeal-Trice, Dr. Meg Kihlstrom, Kelly Lear, Dr. Kerry Thomas, and the education team for leading this effort. | |
Please hold Sunday, December 1st, for the Department of Pediatrics Holiday Party! More information to come!
The Children’s Service Line will be launching this year. Details will be forthcoming. The Service Line will be important as we transition to the future NC Children’s Hospital
The future is bright, and I remain grateful for all of you as we pursue the goal of transforming care for children.
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Kristen Capito, DO
Assistant Professor
Emergency Medicine
| Dr. Capito received her Bachelor of Arts degree with a focus in Cognitive Science from the University of Virginia, in Charlottesville, VA in 2008. She earned her DO from West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine in Lewisburg, WV, in 2016. Additionally, she completed her Pediatric Residency with the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, SC in 2019, and recently graduated from her Pediatric Fellowship in Emergency Medicine with the University of Tennessee’s Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital partnership in Memphis, TN. Welcome Kristen! | | | |
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Jill Kauffmann, MD
Assistant Professor
Wilmington - Hospitalist
| Dr. Jill Kaufmann joined the Department of Pediatrics as an Assistant Professor with the Hospitalist group in the Wilmington Pediatric Specialty division on August 26, 2024. Dr. Kauffman received her Bachelors degree from Meredith College in Raleigh NC in 2009 and earned her Doctor of Medicine from the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University in 2016. She completed her residency at the University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center. She has had recent experience with the Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia and the Christiana Care Hospital in Newark, Delaware, Welcome Jill! | | | |
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Travis Kauffmann, MD
Assistant Professor
Wilmington - Critical Care
| Dr. Travis Kaufmann joined the Department of Pediatrics as an Assistant Professor with the Critical Care group in the Wilmington Pediatric Specialty division on August 30, 2024. Dr. Kauffman received her Bachelors degree from North Carolina State University in Raleigh NC in 2008. He completed a Masters of Public Health degree from the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University in 2010. He earned his Doctor of Medicine from the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University in 2016. He completed residency at Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center in 2019 and his fellowship in Pediatric Neurocritical Care Medicine from University of Rochester, Rochester, NY in June of 2024. Welcome Travis! | | |
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Jane Gross, MD, PhD
Associate Professor
Pulmonology
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Dr. Gross joined the Department of Pediatrics as a board-certified Pediatric Pulmonologist on September 1, 2024. Dr. Gross received her BS from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1993. She remained at UNC to complete a PhD in Oral Biology in 1999. She earned her medical degree at the Wake Forest University School of Medicine in 2003. She was a Pediatric Resident at the Tripler Army Medical Center in Honolulu, Hawaii from 2003 to 2006. She completed subspecialty training in Pediatric Pulmonology at Boston Children’s Hospital 2009. Dr. Gross most recently held an academic appointment at National Jewish Health as Associate Professor of Pediatrics. She has served several years in the Army Reserve and held several military appointments to include Chief Resident of Pediatrics and Deputy Commander of Clinical Services.
Welcome back to UNC, Jane!
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Maura Olcese, MD
Assistant Professor
Emergency Medicine
| Dr. Olcese received her bachelor degree from the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia in 2008. She earned her medical degree and a masters degree in epidemiology and biostatistics from Oregon Health and Science University in Portland, in 2017. She completed her internship with Ventura County Family Medicine and completed her Pediatric Residency with the Kaiser Oakland Medical Center in Oakland, CA in 2020. She completed a Pediatric Emergency Medicine fellowship with UNC/Wake Med in Raleigh in 2024. Welcome Maura! | | | |
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Ellie Mears Ward, MSN, NNP
Advanced Practice Provider
Wilmington - Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine
| Ellie Mears Ward, NNP, is a new Neonatal Nurse Practitioner at the Novant Brunswick location. She received her bachelors of science in nursing in 2013 and her masters in nursing in 2018, both from East Carolina University. She’s had experience at the Vidant Medical Center in Greenville, NC, Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughters in Norfolk, VA and Fairfax Neonatal Associates in Fairfax, VA. Welcome Ellie! | | | |
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Rebecca Hansen, MD
Assistant Professor
Pediatric Radiology
Dr. Hansen recently joined the Pediatric division of the Department of Radiology. She earned her medical degree at the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University. She completed her Internal Mediciene Internship at the Vidant Medical Center at East Carolina University, her Diagnostic Radiology Residency at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) and her Pediatric Radiology Fellowship at Duke University. Welcome Rebecca!
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2024 APP Excellence Awards |
We are thrilled to recognize the Pediatric nominees for the 2024 APP Excellence Awards! The outstanding contributions of our Advanced Practice Providers (APPs) have once again left us in awe. The nominations vividly illustrate the exceptional work and dedication our APPs demonstrate every day.
Key Highlights:
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Inspiring Nominations: The heartfelt letters showcased the profound impact our APPs have on patient care, teamwork, and innovation.
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Exceptional Dedication: Each nominee exemplifies excellence in their field, holding true to the highest standards of healthcare.
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Community Impact: Our APPs are making a difference not only within our walls but also widely across the community.
The winners were recognized during National APP Week at the APP Awards Ceremony on September 25. Congratulations to Sue Meier on her win for Excellence in Leadership – in a formal leadership role!
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Walker New PICU Service Line Leader
We are pleased to announce that Tracie Walker, MD is the new service line leader for the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit. She is taking over for Dr. Jenny Boyd who will be moving on to take a larger role within the UNC Health System as Interim System CMO.
We want to thank Dr. Boyd for her nearly decade long service as the PICU service line leader at UNC. She has truly improved the level and quality of care in the PICU.
Congratulations Tracie!
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Wallace New APP Supervisor for Children’s Acute Care Services
Ashley Wallace, MSN, RN, FNP-C has accepted the role of APP Supervisor for Children’s Acute Care Services effective September 29, 2024. Ashley is a native North Carolinian who attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill as an undergraduate and returned to her Alma Mater to earn her Master of Nursing degree in 2008. After completion of her program, she worked as a Nurse Practitioner at Duke in a perioperative optimization clinic providing quality care for medically complex children and adults. As a former Neonatal ICU Nurse, she was excited to join the UNC Newborn Nursery team in 2016 and return to caring for our youngest patients. In this role, she is involved in many quality improvement initiatives to standardize the care we provide both locally and across the state. She co-founded the Newborn Nursery Safety Committee and helps to implement changes to maintain safe, quality care. She works closely with the School of Nursing as a preceptor, mentor and guest lecturer. Congratulations, Ashley!
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Trembath & Croop to Lead New Small Baby Unit
We are delighted to announce that Andrea Trembath, MD, MPH, and Sarah Croop, DNP, NNP, have been selected as Co-Medical Directors for the Small Baby Unit, which will launch in 2025!
Andrea and Sarah will lead this specialized unit dedicated to providing the highest level of care to our most fragile and premature patients. Their expertise and visionary leadership will be essential as we strive to improve outcomes for these precious infants. With a strong focus on multidisciplinary collaboration, they will oversee the development and implementation of standardized care guidelines, specialized training, and ensure the integration of uniform, evidence-based practices tailored to this unique patient population. We are enthusiastic about this new initiative and the significant impact it will have on the care and long-term outcomes of these infants.
Congratulations Andrea and Sarah!
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Informatics Leadership Changes
We are happy to share that Carl Seashore, MD, Professor of Pediatrics in General Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, has assumed the role of Clinical Informatics Fellowship Program Director.
In concert, Caitlan Pinotti, MD, MMCi, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics in Rheumatology, has accepted the role as Epic Lead Informatics Physician (eLIP).
Congratulations Carl and Caitlan!
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Sundy-Boyles Awarded Dr. Jacob A. Lohr Research Award |
Kristin Sundy-Boyles, MD, Pediatric Hospital Medicine Fellow, and Dr. Eric Zwemer as her primary mentor, have been awarded a Dr. Jacob A. Lohr Research Award for her proposal titled "ACGME Milestone Scores and Pediatric Resident Remediation: How Are We Doing?"
Congratulations Kristin!
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Celebrating Our Connections at NC Peds 2024 | |
Left to right: Elizabeth Blyth (a former UNC resident who now works at UNC Southpoint Pediatrics), Suresh Nagappan (Cone Pediatrics Medical Director/primary Care PD), Kenya McNeal-Trice, Meg Kihlstrom, James Newton (PGY-3, PSTP), K'Shylah Whitehurst (PGY-3), Isaac Taat (PGY-2), Carrie Shropshire (PGY-3), Jake Kluver (PGY-3), Alexia Kessler (PGY-3), Caitlin Green (PGY-3), Maureen Farrell (PGY-3, PSTP), Molly DeCristo (PGY-3), Lily Segal (PGY-3), Nicole Parentela (PGY-3), Alex Card (Chief Resident). | |
Lily Segal (PGY-3), Carrie Shropshire (PGY-3), Maureen Farrell (PGY-3, PSTP), Alex Card (Chief), Isaac Taat (PGY-2). Lily and Alex got first place with Aigner Moore and Caitlyn Gold (not pictured, class of 2024). Maureen, Jasmine Sun (PGY-2) and Maria Ansar (not pictured, class of 2024 PSTP) got third place. Isaac and Carrie had a top ten poster! | |
Maureen Farrell & James Newton
Peds PSTP Residents
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Department of Pediatrics
Meeting
If you couldn't join us for the meeting on Thurs, Sept 19th,
the slides can be found here!
Click to see the Slide Deck
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Ferris selected as Carolina Care Provider Superstar
Maria E. Diaz-Gonzalez de Ferris, MD, MPH, PhD, Professor of Pediatrics in General Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, was named a Carolina Care Provider Superstar for FY24. This UNC Health program recognizes providers who improve the patient experience and exemplify the Carolina Care behaviors.
The awardees for FY24 will be recognized on Oct 29 at a ceremony at the Blue Zone.
Congratulations Maria!
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Williams Selected for FLAGship Program
Xavier Williams, MD, MPH,
Assistant Professor in General Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine. was selected for the UNC Academy of Educators FLAGship program! This is an educational leadership program for faculty to continue to develop and refine skills as educators.
The FLAGship program fellows and faculty participate in a 9-month-long program of monthly sessions that include topics of scholarship, leadership, and educator(ship).
Congratulations Xavier!
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Rebuli Attends AAMC Leadership Seminar
Meghan Rebuli, PhD, Assistant Professor in in Allergy/Immunology, was selected to the 2024 AAMC Early Career Women Faculty Leadership Development Seminar in San Diego, CA as part of a Office of Faculty Affairs and Leadership Development scholarship.
This highly interactive seminar provides women at the assistant professor level with foundational leadership knowledge and skills that will enable them to achieve their career goals, advance, and thrive as a successful leader in academic medicine and science.
Congratulations Megan!
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Ravindran: Poster Presentation Winner at SEAAI | Dr. Mayuran Ravindran, Fellow in Allergy/Immunology, presented his abstract titled "Do Atopic Comorbidities Impact Pediatric Peanut Sublingual Immunotherapy (SLIT) Outcomes?" during the Poster Symposium at the Southeast Allergy, Asthma and Immunology Society Meeting. We are happy to share that he won best Best Fellow Presentation! Congratulations Mayuran! | | |
Allison Joins Inter-CFAR
Congratulations to Dr. Bianca Allison! She was accepted into the Inter-CFAR (Center For AIDS Research) Implementation Science Fellowship. This is a highly competitive program through which she will be advancing her implementation science expertise.
The Centers for AIDS Research (CFAR) program at the National Institutes of Health provides administrative and shared research support to synergistically enhance and coordinate high quality AIDS research projects. CFARs accomplish this through core facilities that provide expertise, resources, and services not otherwise readily obtained through more traditional funding mechanisms.
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Drs. Wesley Burks and Edwin Kim – Allergy/Immunology – published: Epicutaneous immunotherapy for the treatment of peanut allergy. Ravindran M, Sampson HA, Kim EH, Bee KJ, Green TD, Burks AW. Allergy. 2024 Sep 28. doi: 10.1111/all.16324. Online ahead of print.PMID: 39340442.
Drs. Melissa Bauserman and Jackie Patterson – Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine – published: Design and Conduct of Global Health Research in Low- and Middle-Income Countries. Thayyil S, Bauserman M, Valentine G, Patterson JK, Hoffman M, Aagaard K, Ramji S, Lokangaka A, Mhango J, Bhutta ZA, Shankaran S. J Pediatr. 2024 Aug 29:114268. PMID: 39216623
Dr. Bianca Allison - General Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine - published: Exploring adolescent-facing US clinicians' perceptions of their contraceptive counseling and use of shared decision-making: A qualitative study. Thornton M, Mann ES, Bullington BW, Hartheimer J, Arora KS, Allison BA.Perspect Sex Reprod Health. 2024 Aug 22. doi: 10.1111/psrh.12283. Online ahead of print.PMID: 39175306.
Dr. Michelle Hernandez – Allergy/Immunology and Matthew Vogt – Infectious Diseases – published: Recruitment and retention of pediatric participants for pandemic preparedness research: Experience from the PREMISE EV-D68 Pilot Study. Nguyen-Tran H, Spaulding AB, Messacar K, Vogt MR, Permaul P, Douek DC, Mittelman A, Thompson C, Grubbs S, Magana C, Hernandez ML.Contemp Clin Trials Commun. 2024 Aug 14;41:101351. doi: 10.1016/j.conctc.2024.101351. eCollection 2024 Oct.PMID: 39252862.
Dr. Senyene Hunter - Child Neurology and Dr. Sonia Varghese – Child Neurology in Wilmington Specialty - received a new award: Promoting Health Equity Research in Southeastern NC. Through this award mechanism, the team will expand access to genetic testing to the coastal region of North Carolina.
Drs. Ilona Jaspers, Megan Rebuli, and Michelle Hernandez – Allergy/Immunology – published: Gestational and postnatal exposure to wildfire smoke and prolonged use of respiratory medications in early life. Jardel H, Rappazzo KM, Luben TJ, Keeler C, Staley BS, Ward-Caviness CK, O'Lenick CR, Rebuli ME, Xi Y, Hernandez M, Chelminski A, Jaspers I, Rappold AG, Dhingra R.Environ Res Health. 2024 Dec 1;2(4):045004. doi: 10.1088/2752-5309/ad748c. Epub 2024 Sep 11.PMID: 39268508.
Dr. Edwin Kim – Allergy/Immunology – was featured in UNC Health Talk: “COVID-19 or Just Fall Allergies?”.
Mike O’Shea, MD, MPH – Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine – published:
Epigenetic associations in HPA axis genes related to bronchopulmonary dysplasia and antenatal steroids. Hodge KM, Zhabotynsky V, Burt AA, Carter BS, Fry RC, Helderman J, Hofheimer JA, McGowan EC, Neal CR, Pastyrnak SL, Smith LM, DellaGrotta SA, Dansereau LM, Lester BM, Marsit CJ, O'Shea TM, Everson TM; program collaborators for Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes. Pediatr Res. 2024 Jul;96(2):510-518. PMID: 38480856.
Contributions of prenatal risk factors and neonatal epigenetics to cognitive outcome in children born very preterm. Camerota M, Lester BM, McGowan EC, Carter BS, Check J, Dansereau LM, DellaGrotta SA, Helderman JB, Hofheimer JA, Loncar CM, Neal CR, O'Shea TM, Pastyrnak SL, Smith LM, Abrishamcar S, Hüls A, Marsit CJ, Everson TM. Dev Psychol. 2024 Sep;60(9):1606-1619. PMID: 38358663.
Neighborhood Food Access in Early Life and Trajectories of Child Body Mass Index and Obesity. Aris IM, Wu AJ, Lin PD, Zhang M, Farid H, Hedderson MM, Zhu Y, Ferrara A, Chehab RF, Barrett ES, Carnell S, Camargo CA Jr, Chu SH, Mirzakhani H, Kelly RS, Comstock SS, Strakovsky RS, O'Connor TG, Ganiban JM, Dunlop AL, Dabelea D, Breton CV, Bastain TM, Farzan SF, Call CC, Hartert T, Snyder B, Santarossa S, Cassidy-Bushrow AE, O'Shea TM, McCormack LA, Karagas MR, McEvoy CT, Alshawabkeh A, Zimmerman E, Wright RJ, McCann M, Wright RO, Coull B, Amutah-Onukagha N, Hacker MR, James-Todd T, Oken E; ECHO Cohort Consortium. JAMA Pediatr. 2024 Sep 16. PMID: 39283628.
Kathryn Paul, MD - Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine – published County-level Structural Vulnerabilities in Maternal Health and Geographic Variation in Infant Mortality. Murosko DC, Radack J, Barreto A, Passarella M, Formanowski B, McGann C, Nelin T, Paul K, Peña MM, Salazar EG, Burris HH, Handley SC, Montoya-Williams D, Lorch SA. J Pediatr. 2024 Aug 29:114274. PMID: 39216622.
Dr. Megan Rebuli – Allergy/Immunology – published: Indoor Air Pollution and Airway Health. Radbel J, Rebuli ME, Kipen H, Brigham E.J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2024 Aug 23:S0091-6749(24)00863-7. doi: 10.1016/j.jaci.2024.08.013. Online ahead of print.
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GPAM Joins the Chapel Hill/Orange County School Physical Fair
Thanks to Dr. Brittany Raffa and Jenni McBride for participating in the School Physical Fair in collaboration with the School of Nursing and Chapel Hill/Orange County School Systems. They took great care of many children, most of whom were newly arrived in the US. And special thanks to Sherri Woody who connected many additional children to our office prior to this event, so that they could receive their school physicals through our clinic and establish ongoing care with us!
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Please join me in welcoming our newest adorable addition to the Pediatrics family! Meet Tate Christian Harrelson. Born in September to Lauren Hughes, NNP in Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine. He is 9lb 2oz of total cuteness!
Congratulations!
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Congratulations to Jessie Feudale, Division Administrator of General Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine on her new position as Director of Business Operations in the Dept. of Pathology!
Jessie joined the Department of Pediatrics 5 years ago as Executive Assistant in Central Administration and advanced to DA of GPAM and Hospital Pediatrics Divisions. Jessie led many operations within her divisions that the department truly appreciates.
Best Wishes, Jessie!
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Denita Moore and Robin Howard
Residency Coordinators
Nominated by: Nina Jain, MD & Christian Lawrence, MD
We would like to nominate Denita Moore and Robin Howard as our Unsung Heros. They are truly the definition of Unsung Heroes. These two ladies support our pediatrics and medicine/pediatrics programs as coordinators. In that role, they literally keep these programs together by serving in countless ways. Whether it is organizing schedules, evaluations or simply being a shoulder to lean on, we could not think of two better women to do the job. They are truly the "Mothers" of our residency programs and without their lead, we would be lost. Yet, this is not all that they do. They both serve tirelessly on the Committee for Health Equity and Access. In fact, they serve as our administrative leads. A task that they do WITHOUT a defined role or incentive but simply due to their own passions to support our community and department! They have gone above and beyond in helping us organize, recruit and maintain our activities, all in addition to their regular duties. We most certainly could not fully support the department without their efforts.
We cannot say enough to thank our unsung heroes for their tireless service and support!
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