Dr. Jeff Delaney Named Division Chief of Pediatric Cardiology |
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Jeff Delaney, MD, professor of Pediatric Cardiology has been named division chief of Pediatric Cardiology. In addition, Dr. Delaney has been named the Theodore F. Hubbard, MD, Endowed Chair in Pediatric Cardiology. This appointment is effective immediately.
“I’m thrilled to announce, after a national search with interest from multiple exceptional candidates, that Jeff Delaney, MD, has accepted our offer to serve as Children’s Hospital & Medical Center and UNMC’s division chief of Pediatric Cardiology,” said Kari Simonsen, MD, MBA, chair of the UNMC Department of Pediatrics and pediatrician-in-chief and senior vice president of pediatric services for Children’s.
“Dr. Delaney has been a faculty member since 2008 and has risen through the ranks in progressive leadership and academic accomplishment. He is a talented physician who has the depth of knowledge of our history and a vision for our future–making him the right leader at the right time to continue the trajectory of growth and cultivate a successful, academic division of Pediatric Cardiology. Please join me in congratulating him!”
Prior to this appointment, Dr. Delaney was director of Interventional Cardiology and medical director of Pediatric Cardiology. He was instrumental in planning Children’s state-of-the-art heart catheterization lab.
“We are pleased that Dr. Jeff Delaney will serve as the next clinical service chief and inaugural holder of the Theodore F. Hubbard, MD, Endowed Chair in Pediatric Cardiology,” said Alan Tingley, MD, MBA, president of Children’s Specialty Physicians. “He is a respected clinician and colleague. We look forward to the contributions his leadership will provide in advancing the mission of Children’s and the Dr. C.C. and Mabel L. Criss Heart Center.”
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Nebraska Chapter of the American Association of Pediatrics Honors Department Faculty at Virtual Fall Conference |
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Friend of Child Health award winner - Dr. Ballweg |
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Outstanding Child Advocate of the Year award winner - Dr. Kratochvil-Stava |
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Outstanding Child Advocate of the Year
award winner - Dr. Sato
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Outstanding Child Advocate of the Year award winner - Dr. Stoolman |
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The Nebraska Chapter of the American Association of Pediatrics (NE AAP) honored multiple members of the Department of Pediatrics at their Virtual Fall Conference held in October. Alice Sato, MD, PhD, assistant professor, Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases; Angela Kratochvil-Stava, MD, assistant professor, Division of General Pediatrics; and Sharon Stoolman, MD, associate professor, Division of Hospital Medicine, won the award for Outstanding Child Advocate of the Year. They received the award in recognition of their tireless efforts throughout the COVID-19 pandemic to advocate for the health of Nebraska's children and adolescents.
Jean Ballweg, MD, associate professor, Division of Pediatric Cardiology, received the Friend of Child Health award, an honor given to organizations or individuals that are non-members of NE APP who provided outstanding advocacy for the health of Nebraska's children and adolescents. This was recognition for her efforts presenting and fielding questions at community and school district meetings to promote masking. Other winners of the Friend of Child Health awards were OneWorld Community Health Centers for their efforts throughout the pandemic and Joan Daughton, MD, child psychiatrist at Children’s, for her efforts to encourage collaborative advocacy with NE APP through her role with the Nebraska Regional Council of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatrists.
NE AAP President Elect Sheilah Snyder, MD, associate professor, Division of Hospital Medicine, had this to say about the winners, "I really think this year has been hard on providers and the families we take care of,” says NE AAP President Elect Sheilah Snyder, MD, associate professor, Division of Hospital Medicine, “ My energy is renewed by seeing all of the hard work pediatric physicians in Nebraska are doing to combat COVID and keep our kids safe. The AAP is happy to support these providers and continues to advocate for them and their patients. Bravo and thank you!"
Congratulations to all the winners!
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Dr. Rathore Selected for American Academy of Neurology Leadership Program |
Geetanjali Rathore, MD, associate professor of Pediatric Neurology, is one of 10 neurologists accepted to participate in the Transforming Leaders Program, a national program through the American Academy of Neurology (AAN). Dr. Rathore was selected because of her impressive accomplishments and for her outstanding potential as a future leader. Congratulations, Dr. Rathore! |
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Department of Pediatrics Chair Update:
Kari Simonsen, MD, MBA
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The holidays are upon us! 2021 has been a year of continued growth and change for us in the Department of Pediatrics. We have welcomed new faculty, opened a new patient care tower at Children’s and are continuing to provide expert care for children across our community and throughout the region via outreach and telehealth.
I want to say thank you to each of you for your contributions across the mission areas, including patient care, research, teaching and advocacy. Each pillar is important to ensuring the health of children.
I also want to recognize how important it is to take some time to rest and recharge during this season. Sometimes, the holidays can seem more hectic than any other time of the year. Instead of surrendering to the busyness, I would encourage you all to find some time for rest and relaxation. Your own health and wellness are essential. The hustle and bustle are not.
I’m also grateful that this year we are moving forward toward a bit more normalcy. There are small holiday gatherings occurring to celebrate with family and friends. The interactions we have with each other are so important and truly build a stronger community. I hope that you will find time to share with those you care about the most this holiday season and return feeling refreshed and fulfilled as we look ahead to 2022.
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It's important to have a goal. And now we have one for our Coat Drive. We want to hand over 50 coats before the end of the year to our community partners. Do you have 50 coats we could have? No? How about one? If everyone in the Department or CHRI donated one coat, well, we would go soaring over our goal. Don't want to donate a coat? We're easy. Pick out one of the other items listed below. Don't want to come in to the office to donate anything? Cool. Use the link below and we will do the shopping for you.
Items that the organizations have asked us to collect for children/teens and their families:
- New or gently used winter coats/puffer coats* (all sizes)
- New or gently used warm jackets* (all sizes)
- New or gently used hoodies (all sizes)*
- New boys/men boxers – any color/print (boys sizes S-XL and men’s sizes S-XXL)
- New boys/men socks (NorthStar looking for no show and regular in black & white boys sizes S-XL and men’s sizes S-XL)
- New or gently used winter gloves and hats (all sizes)
- Feminine hygiene products (Girls Inc.)
Please bring your items to the bins located in the Pediatrics Department in University Tower (UT5134) on UNMC’s campus and the common/lunch area immediately off the elevators in Indian Hills West, fifth floor, on the Children’s campus.
To donate funds to this clothing drive so the department/CHRI representatives can purchase clothing on your behalf, please visit https://app1.unmc.edu/forms/chri/coats/. There is a 2.75% non-refundable convenience fee.
We will collect items until Friday, Dec. 31.
*** The links provided below offer visuals of types of coats preferred by NorthStar students and the relevant sizes they are hoping to collect this winter. Used variations of these will also be appreciated. Monetary donations to the drive will be used to purchase some of these wish list items.
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CHRI COVID-19 Study Continues as Vaccine for Younger Children is Released |
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With the release of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for children age 5 and older, we thought it would be nice to check in on the progress of the CHRI study for the Pfizer vaccine that began last May. We asked Kari Simonsen, MD, the study’s principal investigator and the Chair of the Department of Pediatrics, to provide an update.
According to Dr. Simonsen, the study was contracted to enroll 50 children, split into three age cohorts: 5 to 11 years, 2 to 4 years, and 6 to 23 months. Tracking of these patients will continue for 24 months past their date of enrollment. The oldest children were enrolled first, so they have been followed the longest. As the younger cohorts reach the same study milestones for data review, those data will also be reviewed internally and externally. The study team is very hopeful that after the data are reviewed for the younger cohorts, the vaccines for the younger groups of children will also be added to the FDA recommendations for vaccination for children under the emergency use authorization and ultimately formally approved for ongoing use of the vaccine.
Dr. Simonsen believes that, at some point in the future, we will likely have the routine immunization schedule for children updated to include COVID-19 vaccines.
When asked about what she would say to parents about the recently approved vaccine for kids up to the age of 5 and older, Dr. Simonsen responded, “I would express how excited and relieved we are as pediatricians to be able to offer a safe and effective COVID19 vaccine for children. The vaccine has been rigorously tested, continues to be closely monitored, and keeps children safe from severe COVID19. It's an important step toward overcoming the pandemic.”
Currently, Children’s has administered over 3,300 doses to 5 to 12-year-old kids with the newly released vaccine. This would not have been possible without CHRI's study and an immense amount of work from Dr. Simonsen; Ashley Servais, CHRI Research Manager; the Pediatric Research Office team and so many others. Thank you!
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Division Level Infographic: Neonatology |
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The Division of Neonatology is a growing academic division in the Department of Pediatrics. We staff the region’s only Level VI NICU at Children’s Hospital & Medical Center and a large Level 3 NICU at a high-volume high acuity perinatal practice (Nebraska Medicine). Our faculty hold many leadership roles in the Department, including the Vice-Chair of Education and of Research, in the Child Health Research Institute and within Children’s and Nebraska Medicine. We hold academic pediatrics as an essential part of our practice. Members of the division serve on the UNMC Medical School admissions committee. We take pride in educating learners at all levels and have a robust research platform. Our advocacy work encompasses the entire state of Nebraska through our work with the Nebraska Perinatal Quality Improvement Collaborative. Our team of neonatologists and advanced practice providers works closely together to ensure that infants get their best start in life. Our strategic plan can be downloaded here, and our faculty and their biographies can be found here. |
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Neonatology testimonials:
Our son will be a year old. Cannot believe how this year has flown by! He is still a laid back happy little guy and is now VERY active and into everything. We still think of our NICU stay often and are so thankful we had such an awesome team to care for us while we were there! - Parent of Neonatology Patient
We will never forget your excellent care and how God used your fantastic team of doctors, nurses and staff to give our twins a chance to live. We are so grateful! – Parents of 23-week Twins Now in High School.
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Summer Undergraduate Research Program Applications Open |
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It is time for the Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP) applications. Applications opened on Nov. 1 and will run through Feb. 15. The next group, as selected by you and sponsored by the Child Health Research Institute (CHRI), will be here June 6 through Aug. 12, 2022. At this time, UNMC plans to offer an in-person SURP experience to interested students.
If you are interested in hosting a SURP student, we will need you to complete the following questionnaire by Jan. 1, 2022.
If you are interested in hosting a student, we will send you several relevant applications from which to select your student after the application period has closed. You will be able to interview the students and extend an offer to join the program should you find a match.
As we have a limited number of students we can support each year, hosting will come on a first come, first serve basis. All principal investigators (PI) hosting students should be active members of CHRI and be housed at UNMC or Children’s in Omaha. If you have not yet applied for CHRI membership, you can find the application and membership details here. The PI will be responsible for providing access to a computer and finding adequate workspace for the student (no remote workspace plans and CHRI is not able to furnish office space or computers).
Please note this opportunity has been offered first to UNMC Department of Pediatrics faculty, and will open to all CHRI full members on Jan. 15th – consider responding early to secure a SURP student for your research project.
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Meet New Faculty Member Dr. Matt Sorenson |
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Matt Sorensen, MD, is an assistant professor in the Division of Pediatric Cardiology. His home state is Utah. He attended the University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, Utah. His pediatrics residency was at the University of Texas Southwestern/Children’s Medical Center, Dallas, Texas. He completed a fellowship in pediatric cardiology at Emory University/Sibley Heart Center/Children’s Healthcare, Atlanta, Georgia and an
electrophysiology senior fellowship at Vanderbilt University/Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital, Nashville, Tennessee. He is a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics, American College of Cardiology, Heart Rhythm Society and Pediatric & Congenital Electrophysiology Society.
His research interests are investigating new medical technologies, techniques and devices to improve procedure outcomes and long-term survival of patients with congenital heart disease. Lately, his focus has been preventing heart block and improving pacemakers that treat heart block in ways that are better for pediatric patients. He is also interested in using new technologies to improve the detection and diagnosis of arrhythmia in children.
How he fell in love with pediatric electrophysiology in his own words:
I wanted to be a doctor as soon as I found out how the heart worked in fifth grade, and I was hooked. Along the way, I got an engineering degree so that I could understand how medical devices work and so that hopefully I can be involved in developing new ones to improve patient care. Pediatric electrophysiology is the perfect blend of physiology and physics for my style of problem solving.
Three things people may not know about him:
- He loves being outdoors.
- He is a bass player (electric and classical).
- He enjoys serving the community through his church.
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Help a Trainee Researcher by Participating in His COVID Study Tracking Physician Perceptions |
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You are invited to participate in an IRB approved research study that aims to assess pediatric provider perceptions on the COVID-19 vaccine. My name is Karl Khandalavala, and I am a medical student at the University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Medicine conducting this study. This study should take 5 to 10 minutes of your time.
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Anti-Racism Committee Definitions:
Racism
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RACISM is a system. It is not an individual character flaw, nor a personal moral failing, nor a psychiatric illness. It is a system (consisting of structures, policies, practices, and norms) that structures opportunity and assigns value based on phenotype, or the way people look. It unfairly disadvantages some individuals and communities, and in so doing, unfairly advantages other individuals and communities. Yet even more profoundly, the system of racism undermines realization of the full potential of our whole society because of the waste of human resources. When trying to understand how this system impacts on health, it is useful to think about racism as operating on three levels: Institutionalized, personally-mediated, and internalized. (adapted from Jones 2002, pages 9-10)
Jones, Camara Phyllis (2002). “Confronting Institutionalized Racism.” Phylon, Vol. 50, No. ½, pp. 7-22.
Coming up in following months: Institutionalized racism, personally-mediated racism and internalized racism.
For additional information and context, a link to Dr. Camara Jones’ talk “The Gardener’s Tale and the Physician’s Legitimate Role” is provided below.
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In order to encourage feedback and conversation, we have created this link so that you can provide your thoughts about the definitions and initiatives communicated by the Anti-Racism committee. We welcome your participation. |
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Information Sharing:
The Processes Around Volunteer Student Research at Children's
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Russell J. Buzalko, PhD, MAS and Ashley Servais, MPH have provided the processes for volunteer student research at Children's.
General Process:
- Research requests are first directed to Ashley Servais of the PRO/CHRI, in order for that office to verify the faculty and student have connected properly, the student is listed appropriately on an Institutional Review Board (IRB)-approved study and all research-related concerns have been addressed (e.g. ethical access, student CITI training, guidelines of the study, etc.).
- The approved request is then turned over to Loni Hoesel of the Office of Education (OED), to begin onboarding, IT training, tracking and various access processes. Students are allowed badge access to the facility, must be EPIC trained if EPIC is used as part of the study, and they are instructed to use a Children’s computer to conduct their research duties because of various security concerns.
- Learner computers are available in the OED area of IHW5 or within the clinical area with the faculty. All access levels are commensurate with what is needed by the student to complete their duties (e.g. EPIC and/or network access, PACS, common drives, etc.). During recent years, students have not received remote access to systems except in a very few extraordinary circumstances. The students receive the access they need on the Children’s campus and its resources. The waiver authority for student remote access is the Director, Office of Education. Children’s IT looks to the OED to verify all student/learner access requests. During pandemic precautions and in most cases, IHW5 is the preferred location for study work because it allows for social distancing, keeps students out of the clinical spaces whenever possible and allows for secured data storage behind the protected firewalls. Win-win.
Additional notes:
- Investigators are encouraged to start the formal request process for a student volunteer research/Principal Investigator (PI)/Quality Investigator (QI) project as soon as the student is listed on the IRB-approved protocol or the PI has proof the study is not governed by the UNMC IRB. Feel free to ask questions at any point in time; we can address questions before the student is on the approved protocol.
- Allow about six weeks for the PRO/CHRI and OED teams to process and onboard the research student. Accredited academic programs are asked to give six weeks’ notice for student processing. Student research assistants are typically volunteers not acting as part of an element required for graduation. They are processed as soon as possible – some programs move much quicker than others depending on details. But, graduation-required elements and programs receive the highest priority.
- Students conducting research must be with a school which has an academic affiliation agreement with Children’s. This provides legal coverage in case of a violation or other issues. UNMC and Creighton have standing agreements with Children’s, so PIs are highly encouraged to partner with a student from one of these two local schools. Working with a third-party unaffiliated school could delay the process by 2.5 +/- months because of the need to secure an affiliation agreement. Not to mention, a third-party school may not sign an agreement because the organization frequently doesn’t want to extend their insurance around someone who is not completing a graduation-required element.
Any questions about volunteer student researchers should be directed to Ashley Servais (research) or Dr. Russ Buzalko (academics and school affiliations).
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Our Successes:
Department Celebrations
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The Department of Pediatrics shares accomplishments, publications and appointments. |
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This month we feature David Freestone, DO, assistant professor, Division of Gastroenterology, and Trey Jantzen, MD, assistant professor, Division of Cardiology. |
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Dr. Freestone and his family |
Dr. David Freestone
What brought you to your given specialty/role?
I chose pediatrics because I never really liked working with and taking care of adults. I joke that I feel obligated to be a gastroenterologist because I have poor sense of smell. While that does come in handy, I love the variety of patients I get to see and the procedures.
What’s your favorite place in the world?
I love to travel, anywhere and everywhere. Most important though is being with my family. I love visiting Europe, especially Italy. If I’m not at work or traveling, you can find me at home.
What are you a fan of or very interested in?
I love doing anything outdoors. I grew up in Utah skiing, mountain biking, hiking, camping and love it all. Outdoor activities are a little different here in Nebraska, but I still love spending time outdoors here, too. I recently did a triathlon to raise money for the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation.
Is there any medicine-based book, music or TV series or movie that you admire and would recommend to others?
I’ve become a big fan of Malcom Gladwell. I like listening to his podcast Revisionist History and his books Talking to Strangers and Outliers. He does a good job showing how to see things from different perspectives.
Code Breaker about Jennifer Doudna and the discovery of CRISPR gene editing is a very interesting read for those who want to know more about the science behind gene editing. There is also a section describing how this technology is used for COVID-19 testing and vaccines.
What was the most important lesson taught to you during your medical training?
Find ways to smile while doing the most mundane things. One of my favorite quotes is by Harry Truman, "It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit."
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Dr. Trey Jantzen
What brought you to your given specialty/role?
My specialty has a great mix of outpatient/inpatient settings, procedural opportunities and patient variety that ranges from the very mundane to the extraordinarily complex. Every day is something new!
What’s your favorite place in the world?
Allen Fieldhouse to watch Kansas Basketball. Or anywhere in Hawaii. Or watching Kansas basketball in Hawaii.
What are you a fan of or very interested in?
Obviously, as an alumnus who paid tuition there for years, I’m a huge Kansas Jayhawk fan, but I’ve become more interested in softball as my daughter has become older and more involved in the sport. Outside of that, I love early 90s alternative/grunge rock, running and triathlons.
Is there any medicine-based book, music or TV series or movie that you admire and would recommend to others?
I would not recommend any fiction medicine-based TV series over the past 30 years, but I found the recent docu-medical drama “Lennox Hill” on Netflix to be entertaining. “Something the Lord Made” is essential viewing for some interested in the field of Pediatric Cardiology. As a resident, I remember “The Intern Blues” being a good book to remind me to quit my complaining, that life could be much, much worse (such as being a resident in the early 80s). And finally, “Stiff” is one of my favorite books about corpses; it is one that I highly recommend.
What was the most important lesson taught to you during your medical training?
As bad as your day or night at work might be, realize the parents of any child you are taking care of would gladly switch places with you
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Staff Milestones:
Recent Service Anniversaries
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Congratulations to those celebrating recent work anniversaries. We wish you all the best for continued success! |
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CHRI Seminar Series - Friday, December 17, Noon
Maegen Wallace, MD - Body Composition in Patients with Osteogenesis Imperfecta
Aleisha Nabower, MD - Impact of the Meningitis-Encephalitis panel on the Management of Suspected Pediatric Meningitis
For more information, click here.
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University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Medicine Department of Pediatrics
982155 Nebraska Medicine
Omaha, NE 68198-2155
402-955-3933
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