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This Month In Pediatrics
March 2026
Part 1
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2026 STAT Madness: Vote for Dr. David Lyden
We’re pleased to share that Dr. David Lyden has advanced to Round 2 of STAT Madness. His team recently discovered that blood clots in cancer patients are triggered by chemical signals from macrophages in the lungs, rather than other organs as previously believed. Voting for Round 2 closes March 16. Colleagues are encouraged to support his work by voting here!
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How One Flu Virus Can Hamper the Immune Response to Another
Dr. Patrick Wilson and colleagues at Weill Cornell Medicine report that prior exposure to one influenza strain may weaken children’s antibody response to a different strain later on. Their study of pediatric responses to H3N2 and H1N1 influenza A viruses sheds light on “immune imprinting” and suggests that well-designed childhood vaccines could help overcome its negative effects. Read more here!
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Elizabeth Gunckle, NP, has been promoted to Senior Nurse Practitioner in Pediatric Endocrinology, taking on expanded clinical leadership, mentoring, and program development while continuing her specialized care for children with endocrine disorders. | | | |
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Pediatric Fellows' Research in Progress takes place on the first Thursday of each month. Third and second-year fellows present their ongoing academic scholarship work. This month's presenters were:
Vicki Sun, MD
Second Year Neonatology Fellow
Topic: "Rooming-In in the NICU"
Rebekah Muthalaly, MD
Second Year Neonatology Fellow
Topic: "Research in Progress - Delayed Lipid Metabolism and Growth Failure in Extremely Preterm Infants"
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Advocacy Wins for Children
Even in a challenging policy and political environment, pediatric advocacy continues to deliver meaningful progress for children, families, and the clinicians who care for them. Across the country, pediatricians, and community leaders are joining forces to champion policies that support health, wellbeing, and prevention.
Universal School Meals: Pediatricians helped frame food as preventive medicine, supporting new universal school meal policies in states including Michigan, Arkansas, and Kentucky, ensuring all students can access free breakfast and lunch.
Supporting Clinician Wellbeing: The Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act has been extended for five years and funded through 2030, expanding efforts to address burnout and reduce stigma around mental health care for health professionals.
Vaccine Advocacy Momentum: Public support for vaccines remains strong nationwide, and antivaccine campaign spending dropped significantly based on the most recent data from 2023 to 2024. And in New Hampshire, a proposal to eliminate school immunization requirements was defeated in the state House.
Community Action: Local communities across the country are also organizing to stop new detention facilities and large data centers near neighborhoods and schools, advocating for healthier environments and protections for children.
Together, these wins show the growing power of pediatricians and communities working together to advance children’s wellbeing.
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| | Dr. Jennifer Lee has been selected from a highly competitive applicant pool to join the LEAD Academy. Her acceptance reflects her considerable talents and leadership potential, and she is expected to contribute meaningfully to the continued growth and success of the NewYork-Presbyterian enterprise. | | | |
| | The Integrated Mental Health Team was honored with the Light Up A Life Award at the Plates for Pediatrics. This recognition celebrates the team’s exceptional dedication to supporting the emotional and psychological well-being of pediatric patients, highlighting their innovative programs, compassionate care, and commitment to improving mental health outcomes for children and families at NYP Komansky Children's Hospital. | | | | Click here to view publications by faculty members published in the last 30 days! | | |
| | Drs. Susan Bostwick, Jennifer DiPace, MacKenzi Preston, Jennifer Bassetti, Erika Abramson, Sandra Rolston, Kevin Ching, and Joy Howell attended the first WCM EDge Mixer for medical educators on March 12, where the Department of Pediatrics had a strong showing. The event also included special recognition for Dr. MacKenzi Preston, who received a new Educational Scholars Award, and Dr. Duncan Hau, who was awarded a medical education grant from EDge. | | | |
| | On Wednesday, March 11, we hosted a Faculty Town Hall where Ilina Ewen facilitated a discussion on key priorities in children’s health advocacy and highlighted recent successes within the department at both the local and national levels. Drs. Joy Howell, Ramon Gist, Jules Romano, and Allison Gorman also shared perspectives from their own advocacy experiences and spoke about their roles in our vertically integrated advocacy groups. If you’re interested in joining one of these groups, please email Ilina Ewen. | | | |
| | Dr. Perdita Permaul served as chair of the Environmental Exposures and Respiratory Health Committee and led a course on “The Effects of Severe Weather Events on Asthma: Social Determinants of Health, Strategies for Adaptation at Home and in Schools, and Reducing Healthcare-Related Greenhouse Gas Emissions.” | | | |
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Dr. Adin Nelson led a workshop titled “Teach, Don’t Just Talk: Enhancing Scholarly and Didactic Presentations” at the Pediatric Scientist Development Program Annual Meeting in Denver, Colorado. The session highlighted strategies for making scholarly presentations more engaging and effective for learners.
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| | Our allergists, Drs. Priya Katari, Dana O'Toole, Perdita Permaul, and Miriam Samstein, attended the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology Annual Meeting in Philadelphia. | | | |
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Join the Faculty Wellness Committee!
We’re inviting faculty members to get involved with the Faculty Wellness Committee. This group plans events throughout the year that promote connection, collaboration, and fun, gathers faculty feedback and ideas, and works closely with department leadership to support wellness initiatives and opportunities.
If you’re interested in joining, they meet every other month on Thursdays at noon. Please reach out to Dr. Susan Bostwick for more information.
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Are you interested in sharing your expertise or telling your story? We invite you to contribute to our department blog. You can submit post ideas to Ilina Das Ewen. Whether you have an idea, bullet points, an outline, or a fully written blog post, reach out to Ilina. She can help your draft or edit a blog post. Your personal stories and insights are valuable. We, and our patients, want to hear from you!
Our newest post showcases the Celebration of the Science and the Scholars Shaping the Future of Pediatric Medicine.
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Medical Advice Messaging
Medical advice messages sent via MyChart may be billed to insurance if they require 5+ minutes of provider time, clinical expertise, or address new, complex issues.
- What is Billable: Messages that involve managing chronic conditions, new symptoms, or medication adjustments.
- What is Not Billable: Scheduling, prescription refills, straightforward results, or follow-up questions within 7 days of an in-person visit.
- Criteria: The message must be patient-initiated and require clinical decision-making. When a patient selects the MyChart Patient Advice Message option, they must review and accept a prompt explaining that the message may be a billable service and copay/ deductible may apply.
- Cost & Coverage: Costs vary based on insurance, with some patients having no out-of-pocket costs, while others may pay $20+ for a copay or more if a deductible applies.
- Additional Info:
- Must be patient/ guardian-initiated message through MyChart.
- The service is unrelated to an E/M service that occurred in the prior seven days (i.e., it is for an unrelated problem),
- No face-to-face or telemedicine visit occurs within the seven days after the online E/M service is provided.
- Use only once per 7-day period. If the patient presents a new, unrelated problem during the 7-day period of an online digital E/M service, the time is added to the cumulative service time for those 7 days
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Schedule your Professional Headshot
External Affairs has established "headshot days" to fill the business need for standardized institutional headshots, particularly for clinical faculty profiles.
Employees in need of headshots may sign up for a 10-minute time slot through Microsoft Bookings (login required).
Stay tuned for upcoming headshot days here!
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2026 Cyma Rubin Women in Science Lectureship
All are invited to attend the Cyma Rubin Women in Science Lectureship, celebrating the achievements of distinguished women scientists and inspiring the next generation of leaders in science.
Date: March 24, 2026
Time: 2-3PM
RSVP Here!
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Save the Date for the 5th Annual Pediatrics Research Day
Join us for a day filled with research presentations and scholarly exchange, showcasing cutting-edge basic, translational, and clinical projects.
Date: May 12, 2026
Time: 8am-6pm
Location: Griffis Faculty Club & Belfer Research Budiling 2nd Floor
Register Here!
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Global Infectious Diseases Across a Woman's Lifespan Course
Date: May 13-15, 2026
Email wgh@med.cornell.edu for more information.
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Drs. Jaclyn Rosenzweig, Arielle Bergman and Zoltan Antal were among the top pediatric physicians with stellar Google review ratings this month!
Share your appreciation for colleagues by submitting a shout-out for inclusion in the department newsletter here!
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