Summer 2022

USF Pediatrics Summer 2022

Chair's Message

STC Med-Peds Nursing and Medical Assistant Teams

June is a time of transitions and celebrations. We have much to celebrate in our department as you will see from this quarter’s newsletter. It is amazing to read about the scope and the sheer number of activities that our faculty and staff have been engaged in over the spring months. We often talk in academics about the triple threat; these folks are rare. I would argue that it is the sum of our parts that makes our department great. We do not need triple threats — just individuals who are excellent in their area of focus. Our department and all that we support are held up by a four-legged stool. Our excellent clinicians who are often also amazing educators continuously demonstrate best practices to our learners, our researchers who are advancing knowledge, and the many of us who advocate for our families, patients, and colleagues. Advocacy has always been a critical piece of academic pediatrics and that is so true at this moment as inequities in care come to light.  So, please celebrate with me all the amazing accomplishments made by our faculty, house staff, students, and staff in all four missions. Together we are an incredible team advancing the health of children. I welcome our new residents and fellows and wish Godspeed to our graduating learners. We will do a special edition on Resident Graduation next month. Happy summer!

Kudos

Drs. John McCormick and Jennifer Takagishi were nominated to the Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society in the faculty category.

The Chronic Complex/NICU Follow-up team celebrated their 10th year of caring for our most vulnerable population. Thank you to Drs. Carol Lilly, Michelle Blanco, and Chelsea Torres, RNs Susan Angelos and Karen Susie and APRN Kourtney Fallon .

Dr. Tiffany Chenneville won the Women in Leadership & Philanthropy’s 2022 Dr. Kathleen Moore Faculty Excellence Award for the USF St. Pete campus.

• The STC Med-Peds nursing and medical assistant teams received the Nurse/Medical Assistant Top Performers Award for their Press Ganey scores this past quarter. The teams achieved a patient satisfaction score of 97%, which was at the 98th percentile (pictured above Chair's Message).
• Dr. Melinda Murphy led Pediatrics and Women’s Health 3rd Year Clerkship to its first Outstanding Junior Clerkship Award.
• Dr. Jolan Walter was appointed Vice-Chair of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology’s Autoimmunity and Altered Immune Response Committee.
• Drs. Keisha Adams and Cameron Nereim passed the American Academy of Pediatrics Adolescent Medicine boards.
• Dr. Jennifer Takagishi was accepted into the Executive Leadership in Healthcare program.
• Dr. Rebecca Plant was awarded the Best Pre-clinical Lecturer Award and the Best Clinical Educator Award during the Physician Assistant Program’s graduation last week.
• Dr. Sarah Dickinson was invited to be a member of the Florida Institute for Child Welfare Affiliate Network as a representative of USF.
• Dr. Carina Rodriguez and the Infectious Diseases team have been selected to participate in a new Moderna vaccine trial for Omicron boosters. Last year, the team participated in testing the Novavax COVID-19 vaccine, and FDA advisers have recommended the authorization of the vaccine. The team also participated in the children’s study for Moderna.
• Dr. Carina Rodriguez was invited by the HIV Vaccine Trials Network (HVTN) to participate as a panelist in the HVTN Research and Mentorship Program at the HVTN/COVID-19 Prevention Network meeting in Washington, D.C. on May 5th, 2022.

USF Pediatrics in the News

Dr. Markus Buchfellner, a USF resident graduate, was interviewed on CBS Evening News about the international hepatitis outbreak- click here.

Dr. Panida Sriaroon was interviewed by the Lakeland Ledger Newsletter about food allergies and oral immunotherapy- click here.

Dr. Cameron Nereim was quoted in the Tampa Times regarding the tragic impact of gun violence on children- click here.

Dr. Jolan Walter presented “Analyzing a Variant of Uncertain Significance (VUS)” on the Activated PI3K Delta Syndrome (APDS) YouTube channel- click here.

Dr. Melinda Murphy was interviewed by Fox News Tampa Bay about acute hepatitis outbreak and how it affects children. 

Dr. Krisztian Csomos was invited to be a co-editor on the topic of CD21lowCD11c+T-bet+ B cells in Primary Immuno-dysregulatory Diseases for Frontiers- click here. 

Grants

• Dr. Larry Dishaw was awarded a $25,000 grant for the project The Influence of Secreted Immune Effectors and Prophage Induction on Bacterial Phenotypes and Colonization Dynamics from the USF Research & Innovation Internal Awards Program.
• Dr. Heather Agazzi was awarded approximately $340,000 annually for 6 years for the program Developing our Children’s Skills Programs (HOT DOCS and DOCS K-5) from the Children’s Board of Hillsborough County.
• Dr. Tanner Wright was awarded $100,000 from the Hearst Foundation and $25,000 from the Triad Foundation for Dr. Wright's Neonatal Exposure Program at TGH and the USF PEDI Clinic at Mary Lee's House.
• Dr. Carina Rodriguez received $250,000 for an extension of activities that are a part of the project High Impact HIV Prevention from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
• Dr. Lisa Sanders was awarded $34,900 for the project Ending the HIV Epidemic from the Pinellas County Department of Health.
• Dr. Lisa Sanders was awarded $20,000 for a secondary site for the project Advancing New Computer-based Health Outreach Regarding Sexual Behavior(ANCHORS) from the National Institutes of Health. 

Welcome to our New Employees

• Cassidy Bolton: Neuropsychiatry Divison, Technical and Paraprofessional
• Lindsey Kiskaddon: Student Health, APRN
• Zaida Coronado: Early Steps, Physical Therapist
• Rhiannon Flass: Early Steps, Physical Therapist
• Sharon Gordon: General Pediatrics, APRN
• Jessica Nelson: Infectious Diseases Division, LPN
• Thomas Damato: Neonatology, Technical and Paraprofessional
• Amy Bailey: Referral Center, RN
• Nagib Elzein: Allergy and Immunology, Fiscal and Business Analyst
• Grace Blair: Allergy and Immunology, Research Support Specialist
• Tracy Tanner: Early Steps, Community Outreach Caseworker
• Lubens Jean-Paul: Technical and Paraprofessional, Ybor Youth Clinic
• Aaron Dulaney: Medical Education, Medical Education Program Specialist
• Diamond Williams: Genetics, Technical and Paraprofessional

Remembrance of Dr. Enid Gilbert-Barness

We are saddened by the news of the passing of Dr. Enid Gilbert-Barness at the age of 94 on April 28. For 26 years she was married to Dr. Lewis Barness, the founding chair of USF Pediatrics – both of them were world-renowned clinicians and scientists. Dr. Gilbert-Barness was a pediatric pathologist whose remarkable contributions included her seminal work on fetal alcohol syndrome and the identification of suffocation as a major cause of SIDS. You can view her obituary here.  

Clinical Team Members of the Month

April 2022

Jessica Biggart, RN, Division of Neurology

Jessica handles all her interactions with patients and their families with professionalism and integrity. She serves as an advocate and ensures patients receive quality care.  

May 2022

Emily Crissey, RN, 17 Davis 1

Emily is extremely helpful in emergent patient situations and is proficient in higher acuity nursing care. She went above and beyond to attend Complex Care clinics during the 17 Davis renovation.  

June 2022

Christian DeJesus, RN, Division of Hematology and Oncology

Christian is friendly and resourceful to all and is an essential member of the division and the multidisciplinary team. He goes above and beyond to prioritize patients. 

Residents

Peds Class of 2025

Natasha Carrero Mercado

Caroline Clark

Jessica Creech

Stefanie D’Arrigo

Kristin DeMayo

Anggie Ferrer Estupinan

Jennifer Markwood

Morsal Osmani

Angela Pluguez

Avram Rago

Monica Singh

Emily Vsalik

Med-Peds Class of 2026

Timothy Bradley

Alaina Branch

Jonathan Slimovitch

Miranda Sullivan

Jayme Verdi

New Chief Residents for 2022-2023

Jacob Miller

Dr. Miller was born and raised in Pittsburgh, PA. He attended undergrad at the University of Rochester and Lake Erie College of Medicine (LECOM) for medical school. His professional interests include adolescent medicine and primary care. 

Dr. Camille Carre

Dr. Carre is originally from France. She attended undergrad at Duke University and the University of Central Florida for medical school. She is interested in becoming a pediatric hospitalist and working in academic medicine. 

Resident Accomplishments

• Dr. Taylor Wiseman was an April winner of the USF Morsani College of Medicine (MCOM) Graduate Medical Education (GME) Culture Champion Award.
• Drs. Jacob Miller and Elizabeth Havlicek were selected for induction into the Barness Behnke Chapter of the Gold Humanism Honor Society.
• Dr. Constance Bindernagel was appointed Co-Chair of the Florida AAP Resident Section.
• Dr. Jade Walter was appointed Assistant Co-Chair of the Florida AAP Resident Section.

Resident News

Dr. Shannon Sullivan got married in Arizona on April 30th.

Dr. Alicia Lew and USF MCOM Fellow Dr. Fahad Hawk got engaged.

Skit Night

Skit night is an annual tradition at USF Pediatrics where resident classes get together to perform lighthearted skits about different people, rotations, and experiences they have encountered. Drs. Dabrow and Takagishi, who represent our faculty, also give goofy gag gifts to the graduating residents.

Dr. Alicia Lew said, "As a former resident and former chief, I recognize residency can be trying at times. This is why it's important for us to do these fun activities to promote comradery and positive culture while poking some friendly fun at all the challenges that we overcome. Everyone gets together for a great laugh and ends the year on a fun note!" 

Chief Resident and Fellows’ Workshop

Drs. Rebecca Plant, Melinda Murphy and Cameron Nereim led a workshop for chief residents and fellows on April 12th, 2022. The workshop focused on leadership styles, personality styles, conflict resolution and emotional intelligence. 

Events and Happenings

Morsani College of Medicine Student Graduation

The graduation took place on May 2nd, 2022 at the Morsani College of Medicine (MCOM). Congratulations to all the graduates! There were14 students who went into Pediatrics, three in Med- Peds and two in Child Neurology- across California to Texas to Honolulu! 

Morsani College of Medicine Student Awards

The award ceremony took place on May 2nd, 2022.

• Claire Bethel received the Tampa General Hospital Outstanding Humanist Award.
• Brennan Ninesling received the Lewis A. Barness Award.
• Catherine Blackburn received the Luther W. Holloway Award.
• Olivia Hardy received the Outstanding Medical Student Award.

Annual Barness Lectureship and Fellowship Forum 

This year's lecturer was Dr. Judy Schaechter (pictured right), President and Chief Executive Officer of The American Board of Pediatrics. Dr. Schaechter presented American Board of Pediatrics: Together, Improving Child Health on April 7th, 2022 at the Tampa General Hospital MacInnes Auditorium.

17 Davis Open House

The 17 Davis Renovation project is complete, and we celebrated the new space for Pediatrics on the first floor and Med-Peds on the second floor. The newly renovated space features spacious exam rooms with new fixtures and furnishings. The provider and clinical staff work areas have all new state-of- the-art equipment for patient care. The Med Peds team welcomed their patients to the beautiful new space for their grand opening on April 26th, 2022. Special thanks to all the clinic leaders for their hard work and dedication leading this project over the last couple of years. Also, huge thanks to the Med-Peds division team for all their hard work ensuring a successful move and opening for their patients. Congrats to the Peds and Med-Peds division on your new space!  

Take Steps Fundraising Walk

The gastroenterology team participated for the first time in the Take Steps walk on April 30th, 2022. There was a great turnout of patients, staff, and physicians. Dr. Racha Khalaf said

“It was a wonderful opportunity to support patients with inflammatory bowel disease in Tampa Bay”.

Second Annual Faculty Development Retreat 

Elizabeth Kociolek and Dr. Jennifer Leiding coordinated a virtual Teams event for the Mentor Group Program. It was an opportunity for junior faculty and their mentors to share their academic accomplishments over the past year. 

Research

Faculty, trainees, and staff are reminded that investigator-initiated protocols are to be submitted to the USF Peds Scientific Review Committee before being submitted to the IRB. Review by the committee facilitates the IRB review process and ensures that well-prepared protocols are submitted. Please note: Industry and federally funded protocols do not require SRC review prior to IRB submission. Protocols should be submitted to Jane Carver for distribution to the committee: jcarver@usf.edu

Poster Presentations

• Klein S & Dr. Kumar M. Transforming Passions to Initiatives: The Creation of the Quality-of-Life Club. International Leadership Association Healthcare Leadership Conference. May 2, 2022. Virtual Event. 
• Palmer K, Dasso J, Ujhazi B, Gordon S, Potts D, Ellison M, Nandiwada L, Brigatti K, Chandra S,Ward B, Csomos K, Strauss K, Rider N, & Walter J: A HypomorphicRAG1p.C176F Variant with Diverse Presentations in U.S. Mennonite Populations.Dr. Alicia Lew: ASPIRE: A Structured Program in Research Education, Implementing a Research Track for Pediatric Trainees. Association of Pediatric Program Directors Annual Spring Meeting. May 16^th, 2022. San Diego, California. 

Fellows’ Forum April 7th, 2022, Tampa, Florida  

Eight fellows from Neonatology and Allergy/Immunology presented at the Fellows’ Forum, which was also attended by faculty and staff. A networking luncheon followed the Forum and included Dr. Judy Schaechter who presented the Barness Lecture.

• Ejiofor C: Gastroschisis Outcomes: Presence of Histologic Chorioamnionitis and the Impact on Time to Full Enteral Feeds and Length of Hospital Stay.
• Barnett-Staines L: Duration of Hypotension and Intraventricular Hemorrhage in Extremely Low Birth Weight Infants—A Retrospective Chart Review.
• Sullivan S: Tertiary Center Experience: Outcome of Oral Food Challenges to Peanut in Children without Prior Ingestion.
• Peterson E: Need for Gastrostomy Tube in Periviable Infants.
• Timothy P: Comparing Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Patients with Pathogenic Variant of Nuclear Factor Kappa B Subunit 1 (NFKB1) and Cytotoxic T Lymphocyte Antigen 4 (CTLA4).
• Perez Sanfeliz C: Relationship Between Acute Kidney Injury During First 2 Weeks of Life and the Development of Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia (BPD)-Associated Pulmonary Hypertension in Very Low Birth Weight Premature Infants (VLBW) with BPD
• Miranda M: Disease Manifestations in Carriers of X-linked CGD”.
• Vargas J: Targeted Cytomegalovirus Screening in a Level IV Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) April 26th – May 3rd, 2022, Denver, Colorado

• Gupta, R: Impact of Trainee Involvement on Safety Outcomes of ERCP Procedures: A Multicenter Analysis from the Pediatric ERCP Initiative.
• Murphy M: Association Between Triage Temperature and Timeliness of Sepsis Interventions in a Pediatric Emergency Department: A Single-center Retrospective Cohort Study.
• Cho S, Khalaf R, Fierstein J, Morrison J, Rico J, & Metts J : Transfusion and Survival among Childhood, Adolescents, and Young Adult Patients with Osteosarcoma: A Research Network Analysis.

Clinical Immunology Society Annual Meeting March 31st-April 3rd, 2022. Charlotte, NC

• Murguia-Favela L, Sneha S, Wright N, Alvi S, Tehseen S, Hernandez-Trujillo V, Seroogy C, Nieves D, Walter J, Pettiford L, Kamani N, Keller M, Pham-Huy A, Grunebaum, E: Long-term Immune Reconstitution in ADA-deficient Patients Treated With Elapegademase: A Real-world Experience.
• Cruz R, Patel, P, Mammadova J, Nieves D, Hauk I, Shaw P, Rico J, Sriaroon P, Ayala I, & Walter J: Prolonged High Dose Subcutaneous Immunoglobulin Therapy for Chronic Immune Thrombocytopenic Purpura in A Cohort of Pediatric Patients.
• Shin H, Timothy P, Illes P, Ujhazi B, Gordon S, Nagy B, Alas E, Sullivan S, Miranda M, Duff C, Nieves D, Cruz R, Farmer J, Sriaroon P, Szymanski A, Csomos K, Westermann-Clark E, Dasso J, & Walter J: Comparing Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Patients with Pathogenic Variant of Nuclear Factor Kappa B Subunit 1 (NFKB1) and Cytotoxic T Lymphocyte Antigen 4 (CTLA4).
• Yilmaz M, Zmajkovicova K, Pawar S, Maier-Munsa S, Maierhofer B, Geier C, Illes P, Alas E, Gordon S, Ellison M, Cruz R, Ujhazi B, Potts D, Kanarek H, Jaglal M, Nguyen J, Badarau A, Pereira J, Taveras A, & Walter J: Characterization of CXCR4(S341Y) Variant of Uncertain Significance in the Setting of Infections, Hypogammaglobulinemia, and Warts.
• Miranda M, Griffith L, Trotter J, Arnold, D; Pulsipher M, Suhag H, Marsh R, Mallhi K, Chellapandian D, Lim S, Grunebaum E, Dvorak C, Kang E, Elie Haddad E, Cowan M, Kohn D, Pai S, Puck J, Pulsipher M, Torgerson T, Malech H, Morton F, Tsalatsanis A, Sullivan K; Dinauer M, Newburger P, & Leiding J: Self-Reported Symptom Burden of Female X-linked Chronic Granulomatous Disease Carriers – a PIDTC Report.
• Silpa T, Taunk D, Potts E, Dasso J, Yilmaz M, Palmer K, Gordon S, Ujhazi B, Csomos K, Younger E, Heimall J, Goldman S, & Walter J: Advocacy and Understanding of SCID Founder Variants Among Patients and Carriers in the U.S.-Based Irish Traveller Population.
• Csomos K, Ujhazi B, Blazso P, Gordon S, Tipton C, Scharer C, Dasso J, Notarangelo L, Cancro M, & Walter J: Partial RAG Deficiency Favors Expansion of T-bethigh CD21low B Cells With Unique Repertoire and Transcriptome.

Oral Presentations

• Masotti L: Optimal Do Donor Allograft Function: The Search for the Lowest Acceptable Donor Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction in Pediatric Heart Transplantation. Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS). April 26^th – May 3^rd, 2022. Denver, Colorado.
• Spoto-Cannons A (alongside Cochran L, DeWolfe C, Gonzalez V, Hannum C, Noulas C, Rose S, & Schairer J): One-Minute Observer: Using Brief Direct Observation Experiences to Improve Narrative Comments. Workshop at the Counsel on Medical Student Education in Pediatrics Annual Meeting. March 29^th-April 1^st 2022. Cincinnati, Ohio.
• Walter J: Challenges Associated with Respiratory Viral Infections in Patients with Primary Immunodeficiency: An Expert Discussion & Real World Experience. CIS Annual Meeting. March 21^st -April 3^rd, 2022. Charlotte, NC.
• Csomos K: Partial RAG deficiency induces dysregulated peripheral lymphocyte development and humoral tolerance defect with accumulation of T-bet+ B cells. Institute for Fundamental Biomedical Research (IFBR) Fellow Seminar Series with Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital (JHACH). May 5^th, 2022. 
• Walter J: Investigation of B cell dysregulation in partial RAG deficiency: tolerance breaks, T-bet+ B cells and anti-cytokine antibodies. JHACH IFBR/Johns Hopkins University (JHU) Medicine Fellows’ Monthly Seminar. May 9^th, 2022.
• Walter J: Investigation of B cell dysregulation in partial RAG deficiency: Tolerance breaks, T-bet+ B cells and anti-cytokine antibodies. Dalhousie University in Hallifax, Canada. May 31^st, 2022.
• Walter J: Bone Marrow Evaluation in Pelvic Inflammatory Disease. North American Immuno-Hematology Clinical Education & Research (NICER). June 2^nd, 2022. Virtual Event. 
• Walter J and Ballow M: Understanding Primary & Secondary Immunodeficiencies. Institute for Fundamental Biomedical Research (IDF) Forum. March 3, 2022.
• Walter J: Investigation of B cell Dysregulation in Partial RAG Deficiency: Tolerance Breaks, T-bet+ B cells and Anti-cytokine Antibodies. University of Rochester Medical Center’s Department of Allergy & Immunology Grand Rounds. March 24, 2022.

Publications

• Creech B, Anderson E, Berthaud V, Yildirim I, Atz A, Melendez Baez I, Finkelstein D, Pickrell P, Kirstein J, Yut C, Blair R, Clifford R, et al. Evaluation of mRNA-1273 Covid-19 Vaccine in Children 6 to 11 Years of Age. New England Journal of Medicine. May 2022. 
• Nereim C, Bickham D, & Rich M. Exploring Use Patterns and Racial and Ethnic Differences in Real Time Affective States During Social Media Use Among a Clinical Sample of Adolescents with Depression: Prospective Cohort Study. Journal of Medical Internet Research. May 2022. 
• Heewon G, Pang T, Agazzi H, Shaffer-Hudkins E, Eunsook K, Miltenberger R, Waters K, Jimenez C, Harris M, Stern M. A Nutrition Education Intervention to Improve Eating behaviors of children with autism spectrum disorder: Study protocol for a pilot Randomized Controlled Trial. Contemporary Clinical Trials. August 2022. 
• Durkee-Shock J, Zhang A, Liang H, Wright H, Magnusson J, Garabedian E, Marsh R, Sullivan K, & Keller M. Morbidity, Mortality, and Therapeutics in Combined Immunodeficiency: Data From the USIDNET Registry. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice. February 2022. 
• Timburiba Guimarães F, Toledo E, Matta Ain A, Moreira I, Soldatelli G, Grumach A, Barros Dorna M, Weber C, Wantanbe Gesu R, Dantas V, Fernandes F, Torgerson T, Ochs H, Bustamante J, Walter J, & Condino-Neto A. SCID and Other Inborn Errors of Immunity with Low TRECs - the Brazilian Experience. Journal of Clinical Immunology. May 2022. 
• Otani I, Lehman H, Jongco A, Tsao L, Azar A, Tarrant T, Engel E, Walter J, Truong T, Khan D, Ballow M, Cunningham-Rundles C, Lu H, Kwan M, & Barmettler S. Practical guidance for the diagnosis and management of secondary hypogammaglobulinemia: A Work Group. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. May 2022. 
• Paudel S, John P, Poorbaghi S, Randis T, & Kulkarni R. Systematic Review of Literature Examining Bacterial Urinary Tract Infections in Diabetes. Journal of Diabetes Research. May 2022.
• Fleiss N, Schwabenbauer K, Randis T, & Polin R. What’s New in the Management of Neonatal Early-Onset Sepsis?. Archives of Disease in Childhood- Fetal and Neonatal Edition. May 2022.

Save the Date

Friday, July 15^th from 8:00 am to 10:00 am Open House at the Ybor Youth Clinic to reveal the Thrive Mural adorning a wall in the clinic's HIV/STI testing room created by artists from The Spring to support and empower victims of intimate partner violence.

Thursday October 13th from 8:00 am to 9:00 am 2022 John Curran Endowed Lecture in Newborn Health with Dr. Edward Bell. 

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Please send content for the next newsletter to pedicom@usf.edu by 9/23/2022