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This Month In Pediatrics
February 2026
Part 2
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Understanding Biliary Atresia
In the latest episode of Kids Health Cast, Dr. Adriana Perez discusses biliary atresia, a rare but life-threatening liver disease that affects approximately 1 in 10,000 children. She walks listeners through the early warning signs parents should watch for in newborns — including persistent jaundice, pale or clay-colored stools, dark urine, and poor weight gain — and explains why early diagnosis is critical for the best possible outcomes. Listen here!
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Letter to the Editor: Children Await Protection
A short drive from San Antonio, children wake up behind locked doors at the South Texas Family Residential Center. Infants and school-age children live in immigration detention with their mothers, waiting for court dates they cannot understand. Children cannot advocate for themselves. They depend on us. Ratifying the convention would not fix immigration overnight, but it would affirm a simple truth: Every child on U.S. soil deserves protection and dignity. Read more here!
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We recently learned the sad news that pioneering geneticist Dr. Jessica Davis passed away peacefully at her home last week. She served as Division Chief of Medical Genetics at Weill Cornell for over 20 years in the 1980s. As someone who was known for building bridges and fostering collaboration, during her tenure at Weill Cornell she “crossed the street” to participate in teaching conferences and beyond at Hospital for Special Surgery. In 2003 she co-founded the Kathryn O. and Alan C. Greenberg Center for Skeletal Dysplasias at HSS, where she worked until her retirement in 2023.
Dr. Davis was a Brooklyn native who graduated from Wellesley College. After earning her medical degree from Columbia University, she was among the first generation of clinicians who combined genetics and compassionate care of children with disabilities. Before coming to Weill Cornell, she began her career at Albert Einstein College of Medicine Hospital and North Shore University Hospital on Long Island. She served as a leader in multiple organizations supporting students, physicians, genetic counselors, and other allied healthcare professionals over the years. Dr. Jessica Davis was a pioneer in clinical genetics who was instrumental in building the foundation of genetics today. Read more here!
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Drs. Marisa Censani and Lisa Ipp were also named Castle Connolly Top Doctors for 2026, a prestigious honor that reflects their unwavering commitment to delivering exceptional and compassionate care to their patients. In addition, Dr. Ipp has been consistently recognized with the Castle Connolly Exceptional Women in Medicine distinction since 2019, celebrating her leadership, sustained contributions to patient care, and role as a trailblazer for women in medicine. | | | |
| | Dr. Alex Huttle recently presented her abstract at the Paediatric Research for the Future of Children, a unique global forum organized by the Society for Pediatric Research and the European Society for Paediatric Research in collaboration with UNIGE and HUG in Geneva, Switzerland. Her work examined variation in suicide risk screening by pediatricians across subspecialties, highlighting important differences in practice and opportunities to improve early identification and prevention for at-risk youth. | | | |
| | 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! | | | |
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New York State AAP Advocacy Day 2026
The epic blizzard did not derail New York pediatricians from using their voices for AAP Advocacy Day. As they do every year, pediatricians from across New York came together to champion the health, safety, and wellbeing of all children. While the snow shifted meetings from Albany to Zoom, pediatricians still spoke up to advocate for issues from vaccines to early literacy. See details of all the issues they championed in the blog post here.
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Public Comment Open on Nursing Degree Recognition
The U.S. Department of Education has proposed rules that exclude nursing from the “professional degree” designation, a change that could significantly limit graduate nursing students’ access to federal loans and loan repayment programs. Nursing education requires rigorous academic and clinical training, licensure, and ongoing certification. It goes without saying that nurses provide essential care. Yet under the proposal, graduate nursing students would face much lower borrowing limits than other professional degree students. The Department has indicated it might revise the rule based on public input, so this is where we need everyone to use their OUTSIDE voices.
The public comment period is open until March 2, 2026. You can find more information here. You can make public comments here.
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| | Project Sunshine is thrilled to honor Dr. Lisa Ipp at their 2026 Gala on May 14 at 6 PM at The Lighthouse at Chelsea Piers, a special evening celebrating individuals whose leadership reflects compassion, innovation, and an unwavering commitment to pediatric care. Dr. Ipp’s dedication to enhancing the patient experience, her collaborative work in evaluation initiatives, and her long-standing advocacy for Project Sunshine’s presence at the Hospital for Special Surgery exemplify the impact of her work. As a clinician and a visionary shaping the future of pediatric care, her leadership inspires all who know her, and Project Sunshine is proud to celebrate her remarkable contributions. | | | | Click here to view publications by faculty members published in the last 30 days! | | |
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Dr. Nancy Lee successfully completed the Thought Leadership Training Program in Fall 2025. The Weill Cornell Medicine Office of External Affairs, in partnership with the Office of Professionalism, recognized her achievement and presented her with a certificate of completion. By completing all three sessions, Dr. Lee joins an elite group of faculty equipped with advanced communications tools to effectively represent Weill Cornell Medicine. Her commitment to strengthening public engagement reflects the institution’s mission to educate the public about health, medicine, and science—an effort that is more critical than ever.
Congratulations to Dr. Lee on this accomplishment.
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| | Dr. Shipra Kaicker recently delivered two invited lectures at prominent hospitals in New Delhi, India, sharing her expertise in pediatric hematology. She presented “Recent Advances in ITP in Children” at the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Medical Sciences and Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, followed by a talk on “Bleeding Disorders with Special Emphasis on ITP & Hemophilia” at Hindu Rao Hospital. Her presentations highlighted the latest advancements in diagnosing and managing immune thrombocytopenia and other bleeding disorders, reinforcing her commitment to improving care for children with hematologic conditions. | | | |
| | Dr. Lily Barash was interviewed on Doctor Radio on Sirius XM, discussing the role of gut-directed hypnotherapy in treating pediatric gastrointestinal conditions. The segment highlighted how this evidence-based approach can support children and adolescents with disorders of gut-brain interaction, helping to reduce symptoms and improve overall quality of life. | | | |
| | Dr. Rachel Kowalsky delivered the Harriet W. Sheridan Lecture at the Stepping Up Ceremony at Warren Alpert Medical School. The event marks students’ transition from classroom learning to clinical rotations, and her remarks offered inspiration as they begin this next chapter of their medical training. | | | |
| | Dr. Mallory Kerner-Rossi presented her abstract poster, “Focal Nonconvulsive Status Epilepticus in a Patient with Recent Glioma Resection: A Case Report,” at the annual meeting of the American Clinical Neurophysiology Society, held in New Orleans. | | | |
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Join the Faculty Wellness Committee!
As we kick off the new year, 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, we meet every other month on Thursdays at noon. Please reach out to Dr. Susan Bostwick for more information—we’d love to have you!
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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 latest post spotlights the New York State AAP Advocacy Day, focusing on championing children, supporting families, and shaping the future of pediatric care.
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Preventive Medicine Counseling Codes
That deep dive into nutrition or physical activity? There are separate counseling codes for each of these important services. Some payors bundle them with a well visit, but others reimburse them as separate additional services. The codes can also be billed as separate services for specialty and problem visits.
Per CPT, codes 99401–99404 are used to report counseling that addresses “such issues as family problems, diet and exercise, substance use, sexual practices, injury prevention, dental health.
The CPT codes for counseling are time-based (99401-99404).
Preventive medicine counseling and/or risk factor intervention/s provided to an individual (separate procedure);
99401 (approximately 15 minutes)
99402 (approximately 30 minutes)
99403 (approximately 45 minutes)
99404 (approximately 60 minutes)
The diagnosis code, or ICD-10, will depend on the reason for the counseling. For example:
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Z71.3: Dietary counseling and surveillance
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Z71.82: Exercise counseling
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Z71.84: Encounter for health counseling related to travel
Documentation requirements:
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Content: Clearly outline the specific, individualized counseling topics (e.g., smoking cessation, nutrition, safety).
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Medical Necessity: Link the counseling to specific patient risks or conditions.
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Methodology: Mention materials, articles, or pamphlets reviewed with the patient.
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Duration: Document the total time spent, as this is a time-based code, typically requiring more than 50% of the time listed in the description. For example, at least 8 minutes must be documented to bill 99401.
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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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Pediatric IBD Transition to College Night
Sponsored by the IBD Transition Program in the Department of Pediatrics at Weill Cornell Medicine
and NewYork-Presbyterian Komansky Children's Hospital. Patients and parents are welcome to
attend.
Date: March 4, 2026
Time: 6pm-9pm
Location: Zoom
RSVP Here!
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The Cornell Health Policy Center: Era of the Child Convening
Join us for a panel discussion on the urgent need to identify strategies to ensure children have access to high-quality health care.
Date: March 9, 2026
Time: 9:30am-11:00am
Location: Uris Auditorium, 1300 York Avenue
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
More details to come!
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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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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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Special thanks to our pediatric ER team for exceptional, compassionate care during a stressful visit. A Family Advisory Council member shared their gratitude for how efficient and supportive the team was. Special thanks to Dr. Vitberg, Dr. Oh (surgical resident), and Dr. Nitin Jethmalani (pediatrics resident).
Drs. Jin-Young Han, Jennifer Bassetti and Omar Abdul-Rahman 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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