|
This Month In Pediatrics
June 2026
Part 1
| | |
The Healing Power of Play
Blakely Rice, Manager of Child Life and Creative Arts Therapy, recently published a blog with Project Sunshine highlighting the healing power of play in pediatric care. The piece emphasizes that play is not just a way to build rapport, but a critical form of communication and clinical competency. By recognizing play as a child’s primary language, healthcare teams can deliver safer, more effective, and developmentally appropriate care—especially during complex medical experiences. Read more here!
| |  | |
Advocacy is Key to Preserving Vital Vaccine Research
Dr. Sallie Permar and Ilina Ewin were recently featured in the WCM Newsroom for their commentary on the importance of advocacy in preserving vital vaccine research. Their work highlights the critical role scientists and physicians play in protecting research infrastructure that has saved an estimated 154 million lives over the past 50 years. Read more here!
| | |
|
2026 HRSA Pediatric Specialty Loan Repayment Program (PSLRP) is Open
Applications are due June 30, 2026
HRSA expects to make up to 100 new awards of up to $100,000 in student loan repayment to eligible health professionals in exchange for a three-year, full-time service commitment to be employed, or participate in a fellowship program at a Pediatric Specialty Loan Repayment Program approved facility.
Chairs: Please Take Two Actions
- Confirm site eligibility now
- Work with your administrators to verify whether your site is eligible and active. If you encounter issues, use the dedicated HRSA technical assistance available to AMSPDC members.
- Promote the opportunity
- Share this program with eligible fellows and early-career faculty.
HRSA will host a webinar on June 10, 2:00–3:30 pm ET. Details are available HERE.
There are no major changes to individual eligibility criteria for 2026. Applicants must meet the full-time service requirement of 144 clinical/service hours per month. Research time does not count toward this requirement, though fellows may extend their service period to meet the obligation.
Please review the 2026 program guidance for full eligibility details.
| | | | |
The Department of Pediatrics proudly celebrated its faculty, fellows, and staff at the annual awards ceremony on June 9, 2026. The event was well attended and highlighted the outstanding achievements and dedication across our community.
Among this year’s honorees, the Master Clinician Award—recognizing superb and compassionate patient care—was presented to Christine Joyce, Katherine Bergstrom, Sheila Carroll, and Sujit Sheth.
The Quality and Patient Safety Award, celebrating team-driven innovations, was awarded to Lauren Blatt, Jin-Young Han, Courtney Nataraj, and Juliana Romano. The Junior Faculty
Research Award, honoring emerging leaders in impactful research, went to Emilie Grasset, Emily Ahn, Honghai Liu, and Jimin Lee.
The Employee Recognition Award in Education was presented to Ashley Santos for her contributions to pediatric education.
Additional honorees included Taylor Jackvony, Chris Lutrario, and Alex Nanchanatt, among many others whose accomplishments were celebrated.
Thank you to all for your hard work, dedication, and continued commitment to excellence.
| |
| | 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. Stay tuned for next month's presenters! | | | |
| | Dr. Omar Abdul-Rahman is recognized for his service on an NBME/USMLE committee in 2025. His contributions support the development of high-quality assessments that measure essential competencies for health professionals in the U.S. and globally. This important work helps inform trainees, educational programs, and licensing boards, and reflects a strong commitment to advancing medical education. | | | | |
We need you to stand up for science.
New measures from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) will end federal support for science as we know it. This is not a drill.
OMB’s proposed rule (“Regulation for Federal Financial Assistance”) would strip federal agencies of grant funding decisions. We have to all take action now.
Stand Up for Science has made it easy to contact your members of Congress and provide comments on the proposed rule.
Go to the SUFS Action Center to find and links to flood the comments on this proposed rule. Click to access the Federal Register during the 45-day open comment period. The open comment period goes until July 13, 2026.
There’s never been a more important time to use our OUTSIDE voices.
“Vought's 'Uniform Regulation' would be nothing short of catastrophic for American science. This rule would funnel decision power to the Executive Branch about what science is done, by whom, for whom, with whom, and effectively isolate our scientists from the rest of the world. Stand Up for Science is mobilizing the scientific community to stop Vought's destruction of our science.” -Colette Delawalla, PhD, Founder and CEO of Stand Up for Science.
Share this with others in your network and reach out to Ilina Ewen if you have any questions.
| | |
Spotlight: Gun Violence Prevention Month
This month, we recognize Gun Violence Prevention Month by highlighting the ongoing work to address the devastating impact of community violence. In March, Dr. Ramon Gist brought that message to a national stage, delivering a roundtable talk at the Society of Critical Care Medicine’s national Congress. His presentation, “Why Your ICU Needs a Violence Intervention Program,” made the case for embedding violence intervention directly into critical care settings, meeting survivors at one of their most vulnerable moments.
Dr. Gist also facilitated a webinar for the Health Alliance for Violence Intervention (HAVI) as part of their ongoing series, “Stronger Together on the Frontline: HAVI Forums for the Field.” The session entitles The Gift to the Field: Lessons, Loss, and Legacy in Violence Intervention Work, brought together frontline staff from Community Violence Intervention Programs across the country to explore grief and loss, vicarious trauma, and cultural and community healing. Designed for real-world application, participants engaged in breakout discussions and left with practical tools to sustain themselves and their impact in this demanding work.
As gun violence continues to affect communities nationwide, this work is a reminder that prevention and healing require all of us. Learn more about violence intervention programs and resources at www.thehavi.org.
| |
| |
Dr. Jennifer Shenker has been accepted into the 2026–2027 Leadership in Academic Medicine Program (LAMP). She was selected as part of a highly competitive cohort, reflecting her strong leadership potential and commitment to academic medicine.
| | | |
| |
Dr. Ariel Sugarman has been accepted into the 2026–2027 Leadership in Academic Medicine Program (LAMP). She was selected as part of a highly competitive cohort, reflecting her strong leadership potential and commitment to academic medicine.
| | | |
| | Dr. Theresa Scott was recognized with the PHM Fellows Teaching Award, an honor that reflects her dedication to education and mentorship. | | | |
| | We are pleased to share that Dr. Jane Chang, Dr. Omar Abdul-Rahman, and Dr. Susan Bostwick have successfully completed the WCM Leadership and Policy Academy (2025–2026). Their participation, which included attending six or more sessions, reflects a strong commitment to professional growth, leadership excellence, and advancing a culture of accountability and professionalism at Weill Cornell Medicine. | | | | Click here to view publications by faculty members published in the last 30 days! | | |
| | Dr. Miriam Samstein has been selected to continue serving as the department’s General Faculty Council early-career representative for a new three-year term, beginning July 1, 2026. | | | |
| | |
Dr. Sallie Permar discusses the impact of recent vaccine recommendation policy changes and comments on how effective vaccines can be in preventing and eliminating diseases like measles on PBS. Watch here!
| | | |
| | Dr. Marianne Sharko served as moderator for a panel on “AI in Healthcare: From Idea to Impact,” guiding discussions on emerging innovations and their real-world applications in clinical care. | | | |
| | |
Dr. Perdita Permaul was invited to the 25th Anniversary Celebration of the Theresa and Eugene Lang Center for Research and Education at NewYork Presbyterian-Queens with keynote speaker, Dr. Anthony Fauci, held on June 3, 2026.
| | | |
| | Lauren Garcia, a General Pediatrics Physician Assistant, recently presented her abstract, “Standardizing Newborn Discharge Education to Improve Access and Reliability,” at the Annual Weill Cornell Quality Academy Symposium on May 20, 2026. | | | |
| | Anita Mesi and Brighid McCarthy attended the AAAP Spring 2026 Conference (May 17–20) in Park City, Utah, where pediatric administrators from across the country gathered to discuss key challenges and share innovative solutions. They connected with peers from institutions including NYU and the University of Florida and returned with actionable ideas to help strengthen the Weill Cornell Pediatrics health system. | | | |
| | The Thought Leadership Training Program is now accepting applications through June 14, 2026, for Fall 2026 and Spring/Summer 2027 sessions. Open to all full-time WCM faculty (with a focus on early-career faculty), this free program offers hands-on training in media interviews, Op-Ed writing, and social media engagement. The three in-person courses total eight hours and are led by WCM communications experts and external professionals. Faculty are encouraged to apply and take advantage of this opportunity to strengthen their public voice in medicine and science. Click here to apply! | | | |
| | |
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.
| | | |
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 you draft or edit a blog post. Your personal stories and insights are valuable.
Check out our latest blog posts!
| | | |
Update: G2211(Add-On Code for Complex Pediatric Care) Medicaid Reimbursement
Effective April 1, 2026, New York State (NYS) Medicaid will reimburse Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS) code "G2211". This will include Managed Medicaid plans ( Healthfirst, Fidelis etc.)
Add-on HCPCS code "G2211" recognizes the establishment and maintenance of an ongoing clinician-patient relationship. It provides additional reimbursement for visits with greater complexity than a typical Evaluation and Management (E/M) service. It is intended for situations where the clinician:
- serves as the focal point for all needed health care services; and
- provides ongoing care related to a single, serious condition or a complex condition of a patient.
Visit complexity for HCPCS code "G2211" is related to the additional effort of providing longitudinal care. It is not based on specific diagnoses or the level of medical decision making. HCPCS code "G2211" may not be reported for acute or routine care. Clinicians must document the medical complexity and ongoing care that justify the use of HCPCS code "G2211", including how the visit fits within a patient centered plan of care. (Health.NY.Gov)
Medicaid reimbursement for the G2211 is $14.83 and has a 0.33 wRVU.
| |
| |
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!
| | | | |
The Nursery shadowing experience organized for pre-clinical students was very well received. Students reached out after their session to ask about returning, reflecting the strong impact of this initiative. This effort plays an important role in strengthening and inspiring the future pediatric pipeline. Keep up the great work!
Drs. Denis Donovan, Thomas Ciecierega and Priya Katari 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!
| | | | |
