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This Month In Pediatrics
March 2026
Part 2
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NYP Lower Manhttan Hospital Celebrates Newly Renovated Postpartum Unit
NewYork-Presbyterian Lower Manhattan Hospital proudly unveils its renovated postpartum unit, offering a family-centered, calming environment with modernized rooms and enhanced privacy. Expect exceptional, personalized care from world-class Weill Cornell Medicine doctors, along with comprehensive maternity services including prenatal care, lactation support, and neonatal care. Read more here!
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Celebrating a Successful Match Day
at Weill Cornell Mediine
We are proud to congratulate our outstanding medical students and incoming residents on their successful Match this year. Their dedication, hard work, and commitment to patient care have brought them to this exciting next step in their careers. We look forward to seeing the meaningful impact they will make in pediatrics and beyond.
Read more here!
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Dr. Diane Liu has been promoted to Medical Director of the Pediatric Kidney Transplant Program at Weill Cornell Medicine. In this role, she will lead efforts to advance care for children with complex kidney conditions. | | | |
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Support New York State Biomedical Research Funding
With state budget negotiations concluding April 1, researchers across New York are urging Albany leaders to invest in biomedical research, an effort led by the Associated Medical Schools of New York (AMSNY). We encourage you to contact Governor Hochul, your State Assembly member, and State Senator to voice your support (click the hyperlinks to find who represents you). Sample script is below, and reach out to Dan Pollay if you have any questions.
“I am writing to urge the New York State Legislature to add $100 million to the fiscal year 2026-2027 to fund biomedical research and our scientific workforce. This investment will build on critical allocations already in the budget to capitalize on new opportunities and ensure that New York State will continue to lead our nation and the world in science and the delivery of healthcare that benefits all New Yorkers.
Governor Hochul has acknowledged the need for investment in the biosciences by putting $65 million towards a Bolstering Biotech Initiative which would support late-stage research like clinical trials and venture capital investments. I strongly support these investments, but it is critical that New York fund the research that leads to discoveries in addition to commercialization and support the scientific workforce.
New York has been a leader in research for decades, but states like California, Massachusetts, Texas are investing billions in biomedical research and Canada, China and the European Union are spending billions to recruit our scientists - all at a time when the federal government is rapidly changing its policies and priorities for funding research. It is essential that New York boldly step forward and expand our commitment to our life science industry.
Bioscience is an important economic driver, with nearly $6 billion in research expenditures annually, employing 120,000 New Yorkers and training a scientific workforce that drives new discoveries and treatments that improve the health and lives of all New Yorkers. The State’s targeted investments in recent years have supported the expansion of our life science sector – particularly our startup economy. There is opportunity for states like New York that possess the infrastructure and workforce and are willing to invest boldly in science.
I am urging you to ensure that the future of bioscience in New York is secure by supporting the $65 million Bolstering Biotech Initiative and allocating an additional $100 million in this year’s budget to cement our continued global leadership in science, scientific talent and healthcare delivery.”
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| | Dr. TJ Jirasevijinda’s research abstract, “Belonging in Clinical Learning: A Multi-Institutional Qualitative Study of Students Marginalized in Medicine,” has been accepted as a poster presentation at Serve Lead 2026: the AAMC Annual Meeting, to be held in Anaheim, California, from November 6–10, 2026. | | | |
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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. Stay tuned for next month's presenters!
| | | | We are thrilled to welcome our exceptional Class of 2029 residents and celebrate the start of their journey in Pediatrics! | |
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Good News for Vaccines!
Earlier this week, US District Court Judge Brian Murphy ruled on the side of science and the AAP. In his March 16 opinion, he wrote that 13 of the 15 ACIP members “appear distinctly unqualified,” and he temporarily put their appointments on hold, which is why ACIP could not meet this week as scheduled. The judge also blocked the heavily revised vaccine schedule issued by Health and Human Services in January, marking a great day for science and a critical first step in restoring public trust.
AAP President Andrew Racine, MD, PhD noted that the administration vaccine changes “have sown chaos and confusion for parents and pediatricians,” which led the AAP to issue its own vaccine schedule. “In the wake of today’s decision, one thing remains clear: parents can continue to turn to the AAP’s childhood vaccine recommendations and talk with their pediatrician about how to best protect their children’s health.”
All the Empty Rooms Wins Oscar
You’ll be gutted over 35 minutes watching the short documentary All the Empty Rooms. This film offers a rare and poignant peek into the bedrooms of children who died in school shootings. It’s an emotional, not political, perspective into what families bear.
CBS News correspondent Steve Hartman and photographer Lou Bopp developed the film, and it comes as no surprise that longtime gun safety warrior Steve Kerr, revered coach of Golden State fame, is the executive producer. "It's hard to watch, but it's also unforgettable," Kerr said. "And I do think that this issue is kind of a movement that we need to shift -- our country, our citizenry, we need to move the issue, because it's obviously not happening at the political level, but we know the power of protest and movements, and I hope sincerely that this film will help in that cause."
Gloria Cazares, who lost her 9-year-old daughter Jackie in Uvalde, accepted the nomination with the filmmakers and appealed for an end to gun violence. "Since that day, her bedroom has been frozen in time. Jackie is more than just a headline. She is our light and our life. Gun violence is now the number one cause of death in kids and teens. We believe that if the world could see their empty bedrooms, we'd be a different America."
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Dr. Diane Liu has been selected for the American Society of Pediatric Nephrology (ASPN) Leadership Program, where she will continue to develop key skills as an emerging leader in pediatric nephrology.
| | | | Click here to view publications by faculty members published in the last 30 days! | | |
| | Dr. Sandra Rolston has joined the Clinical Skills Center, where she will teach medical students and foster the development of essential bedside skills critical to high-quality patient care. | | | |
| | Dr. Aliza Solomon recently hosted another successful webinar in our series, Celiac MythBusters: What’s Fact, What’s Fiction, and What’s Next?. The session clarified common misconceptions and highlighted the latest insights in celiac disease, continuing our commitment to expert-driven education. Watch here! | | | |
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Dr. Sallie Permar delivered an inspiring plenary presentation titled “Growing the Workforce That Is Key to a Healthy Future” at the Eastern Society for Pediatric Research Annual Conference 2026, where she emphasized the critical importance of building and supporting a strong pediatric research workforce to ensure better health outcomes for future generations. Read more here!
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Elizabeth Gunkle, NP, discusses ways to help prevent diabetes in children on the Kids Health Cast. She provides an overview of the risk factors for type 1 diabetes and the importance of screening for children. She shares the latest groundbreaking research and programs focused on early identification and prevention strategies. Listen here.
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The department was thrilled to see such a fantastic turnout for the Wellness Duck Hunt. Participants brought incredible energy and enthusiasm, making the event a memorable success for all involved.
There were many lucky duck winners, adding to the fun and excitement of the day!
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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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| | The department offers confidential peer to peer support for pediatric faculty who are involved in a lawsuit or RCA. Modeled on the program the WCM ED uses, our department has 5 trained faculty members who are available to faculty for peer support. One of these faculty members will reach out to anyone who is involved in a lawsuit or RCA to offer short term peer support, to share resources and a trained ear to listen. In addition, any faculty who wants to reach out for peer support related to keepsafes, morbidities, QA reviews, etc, may do so by contacting Dr. Sandra Rolston. | | | |
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!
Check out our latest post to understand what a recent court ruling means for pediatric medicine and how it could affect care for children.
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Diagnosis Coding for Childhood Obesity
To increase accuracy and available treatment options and reduce denials for children and adolescents with obesity, use the E-codes together with the childhood BMI Z-codes.
Tips:
- Do not use unlisted/ unspecified Obesity codes.
- Add Nutrition and Exercise counseling codes when appropriate:
- Dietary counseling: Z71.3 (Dietary counseling and surveillance)
- Exercise counseling: Z71.82 (Exercise counseling)
- Behavioral changes: Z72.4 (Inappropriate diet/eating habits) or Z72.3 (Lack of physical exercise)
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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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Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia Conference: Navigating Care in Adolescence and Adulthood
Date: April 13, 2026
Time: 8:00am-2:30pm
Location: Belfer Research Building 302-A-C
Register Here!
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Department of Pediatrics Annual Trivia Night
Join our department’s trivia night (general trivia, not medical) for a fun evening of friendly competition, teamwork, and great company!
Date: April 30, 2026
Time: 7pm-8pm
Location: Zoom
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. Catherine McGuinn, Thomas Cicierega and Amar Ingravera 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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