USF Health Pediatrics Newsletter Summer 2025 | | |
For those of us who trained in the 1980s, the vaccine discussion feels very personal. I was a pediatric resident just as the first Haemophilus influenza B (HIB) vaccine arrived on the scene. Almost every night we saw a child with invasive HIB disease, meningitis, cellulitis, or septic arthritis. I saw all the complications, including the scariest for a pediatric resident at night: epiglottitis. By the middle of residency, HIB infections began to disappear. We discovered that the conjugated vaccine not only protected children from invasive disease, but it eradicated the nasal carriage of HIB. That drove home the concept of herd immunity. It was not just the immunized infants who were protected – because they no longer shed the bacteria in their nasopharynx, it did not get transmitted to unvaccinated children. The decline in invasive HIB was rapid and astounding. We celebrated as a profession. I remember attending the pediatric infectious disease society meeting as a fellow, where researchers discussed addressing pneumococcus infections in a similar way. They had begun to develop conjugated pneumococcal vaccines and had to be selective with how many serotypes they included. It wasn’t as simple as HIB, but in 2025 we now have a 20-valent conjugated vaccine and have seen dramatic declines in pneumococcal disease. Our profession has changed guidelines for evaluating young infants with fever of an unknown source; we no longer automatically do lumbar punctures and admit them to the hospital with IV antibiotics – all because of the use of these vaccines.
Herd immunity, reproduction number, transmissibility: these are all concepts that are difficult to explain to families. But they are important concepts that should help drive decisions to vaccinate. As trusted partners with our families, we need to improve the health literacy of our community and impart the facts. Importantly, we need to fight to make sure that vaccines are still readily available for all children – that there are not inequities. Our schools need to be safe for all children to attend, including those with chronic conditions or those who might have an immune-compromised person at home. As a department, we are committed to the health of children and to improving the health of our community and children everywhere. Vaccines have been one of the greatest achievements of this past century. I have witnessed these diseases disappear and our pediatric practices evolve due to these scientific advances. We cannot go backwards.
I hope you will join me and continue to get out the message of the critical importance of childhood vaccines and the need for threshold vaccination rates to prevent outbreaks in a community.
| | Hillsborough County recently announced recommendations for the use of Opioid Settlement Funds after its review of proposals to address prevention, treatment, recovery, and education efforts related to opioid use disorder (OUD). USF Peds will receive funding in the prevention and education categories. Dr. Lisa Sanders is the faculty lead for efforts to build a solutions consortium for prevention, to include OUD screening at Ybor Youth Clinic and increased education of providers and trainees. Dr. Tanner Wright and Dr. Anthony Kendle (Ob/Gyn) will lead education efforts, which will integrate multidisciplinary curricula related to OUD and substance use disorders across healthcare disciplines, to include improved education on the care of affected infants, community education, and efforts to reduce stigma related to these disorders. Dr. Kendle is also an investigator on a recovery proposal, which, in collaboration with Healthy Start, will develop the PRISM Clinic (Perinatal Recovery and Integrated Support for Mental Health) – an expansion of the PEDI Clinic. Congratulations! | |
USF will help to pilot a new state initiative that will give families the option to have their newborn’s genetic code sequenced at birth. The Sunshine Genetics Act is a 5-year screening pilot program that aims to identify potentially serious but actionable conditions early. It also established the Sunshine Genetics Consortium, which is a network of Florida universities and children’s hospitals that will administer the pilot program and conduct research in genomic medicine. The program will enable USF Peds faculty to offer genetic screening and genome sequencing at no cost to families, and to expand research opportunities.
| Dr. Jennifer Takagishi was interviewed by ABC Action News about a new Florida law that mandates ECG or EKG screening of all high school athletes. | |
Many thanks to all residents, faculty, nurses and staff who participated in the Back 2 School Health Fairs, including one at Swindle Med Center, Plant City in July. The Back 2 School Health Fairs are held throughout the country.
| | In recognition of these efforts, Hillsborough County presented a proclamation to the Back to School Coalition of Hillsborough County, of which USF Health is a collaborating partner. The Coalition was recognized for their volunteer efforts at three back to school health fairs, providing free vaccines and physicals to children. Volunteers include faculty leads Drs. Miram Gendi, Keisha Adams, Chelsea Torres, Karyn Gerstle, Sharon Dabrow, Jennifer Takagishi, Carol Fraley and Patricia Emmanual, residents Abigail Hardy, Emma Guld, Meera Patel, Nelson Franqui, Alyson Hill, Sally Stauder, Tammy Nguyen, Jennifer Quinones-Colon, Dany Suarez Goris, Sri Narayanan, Justin Brodsky, Danielle Gantar, Alexaundria Barnes, Daniela Villalobos, along with staff members Raquel Dennis, Alana Cepeda, Yaritza DeJesus, Claudia Macias, Emma Gonzalez, Nikisha Clouden, Shaunte Washington, Maria Vera, Bunmi Oladinni-Kiyali, Margaret Correa, Emmelrose Francios and Shaunte Washington. Many thanks to all the participants who made these events a success. | | The Pediatrics Department partnered with Project-Link in July to host a Back-to-School Health Clinic at Blake High School in Tampa. Physicals and immunizations were provided to underserved students in our community, helping ensure access to essential healthcare as they prepare for the new school year. | | An assisted technology Resident Boot Camp was held in July, offering residents a hands-on workshop focused on caring for complex patients and utilizing technology in patient care. The event highlighted excellent multidisciplinary collaboration. | | |
Drs. Larry Dishaw, Claudia Espinoza and Erica Peterson were appointed to the MCOM Medical Student Selection Committee.
Dr. Heather Agazzi and her team achieved renewal of the HOT DOCS program by the Children’s Board of Tampa.
Dr. Simone Chang was accepted into the American Society of Hematology Medical Educators Institute for 2025.
| | Dr. Racha Khalaf was awarded a 2025 Research Champions Award by the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. | | Dr. Cameron Nereim was awarded the Exceptional Educator Award for July by the Office of Educator Development! | | |
Dr. Paola Zayas-Borges was recognized as Educator of the Month for July by the UME office of Educator Development!
| | Dr. Sunita Bhandare was recently accepted into the Division Directors Academy of the Association of Medical School Pediatric Department Chairs. | | Dr. Mindy Murphy was appointed Vice Chief of Operations for Muma Children’s Hospital! | | Dr. Chelsea Torres has been appointed as the new USF Pediatric Associate Residency Director. She has served as the co-director of the MS 3 primary care clerkship and has participated in multiple education committees and programs for the medical school and residency program. | | |
Congratulations to Dr. Patoula Panagos on her recent appointment as Director of NICU Quality at Muma Children’s Hospital.
Dr. Ali Sanati has assumed Medical Directorship of Chalsty Clinic. He will work with Sandy Leck to optimize clinic workflow and efficiency, review new policies and procedures, and assist with Press Ganey reviews.
Nicole Misner, MS, RDN, was awarded a USF Culture Coin. She was nominated by Dr. Racha Khalaf for her innovation and deep commitment to her patients and the program.
Congratulations to TGH for being named Top Hospital in Florida by US News and World Report, with special congratulations to Dr. Anjali Kaimal and our Ob/Gyn colleagues on TGH being named #5 in the US!!
| | Clinical Team Members of the Month | | July: Patricia Fernandez Aranda, Patient Access Specialist; ACH OCC clinic | |  | August: Emely Sotolongo Nieves, Medical Assistant; 17 Davis 1 Clinic | | | | | We are excited to welcome Dr. Elsa Suh who has started the Pediatric Cardiology Division. Dr. Suh comes to us from Pediatric Cardiology Associates with a long career in peds cardiology. She is starting an outpatient program only and has started clinics at the Chalsty Clinic two days a week. Dr. Suh can be reached through her nurse, Carol at 813-821-8920 and is thrilled to be building a collaborative Peds Cardiology program. | | Dr. Ryan Kahanowitch is serving as assistant professor in the Division of Pediatric Pulmonology. He earned his MD from St. George’s University School of Medicine, and completed his pediatric residency at Maimonides Infants and Children’s Hospital of Brooklyn. Since completing his pediatric pulmonology fellowship at Children’s National Hospital in 2022, he has served as assistant professor of pediatric pulmonology at Weill Cornell Medicine and at New York-Presbyterian Komansky Children’s Hospital, and since 2023 he has served as assistant professor at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. | | | Dr. Stefanie Scarpone is serving as assistant professor in the Division of Neonatology, joining the division’s hospitalist team. She is also a pediatrician in the USF-TGH Pediatric Complex Care Program. She earned her DO from the Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine and completed her pediatric residency at USF. | | | Justin Brodsky; Nova Southeastern University | | Emma Guld; Lake Erie College of Medicine | | Abigail Hardy; Indiana University School of Medicine | | Anthony Lenza; St. George University | | Tammy Nguyen; University of South Florida | | Sujal Patel; University of Florida | | Jennifer Quiñones Colon; Ponce Health Sciences University | | Meera Ratani Patel; University of South Florida | | Alanis Rosado; University of South Florida | | Sally Stauder; Florida State University | | Dany Suarez Goris; Santiago University of Technology School of Medicine | | Daniela Villalobos-Barrera; University of Zulia Faculty of Medicine | | Faiza Batool; FMH College of Medicine and Dentistry | | Nayoung Lee; Medical College of Georgia | | Kaniya Pierre Louis; Florida State University | | Glorian Perez Aviles; Ponce Health Sciences University | | Kirstie Walters; Florida State University | | Neonatology - Dr. Isabelle Gill completed medical school at the University of Virginia School of Medicine and her pediatric residency at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh. | | | Neonatology - Dr. Ereny Hanna completed medical school at the Alexandria University Faculty of Medicine in Egypt, and her pediatric residency at New York-Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital, where she served as chief resident. | | | Neonatology - Dr. Jessica Vasquez completed medical school at the American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine, and her pediatric residency at New York-Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital, where she served as chief resident. | | | |
Allergy and Immunology -
Dr. Jessica Creech received her DO at Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine and completed her pediatric residency at USF.
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Elena Lara, Community Outreach Caseworker, Early Steps
Paola Romani Ferreira Suhet, Postdoctoral Scholar Research, Allergy and Immunology
Keri Keller, Professional/Support, Child and Adolescent Psychology
Mary Ryan, Professional/Support, Child and Adolescent Psychology
| | Karen Larsen, RD, retired after 35 years of service at USF. Early in her career she worked in growth, gastroenterology and infectious disease clinics. During her career with the Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Karen provided nutritional services for children born with HIV, and she provided essential support for families of children with chronic conditions. She also joined the Division’s quality improvement mission. A celebration was held on August 20. | | | Kelly Paulina retired after 24 years of service at USF, including 9 years with Ob/Gyn and 15 years with Peds. As Program Coordinator of the Pediatrics and Med-Peds residency programs, Kelly was a tireless advocate for our residents and a cheerleader for all – including The Lightening! We will miss her smile, passionate energy and dedication. A celebration was held on Sept 2. | | | |
Florida Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, Orlando, August, 2025
USF was well-represented at this year’s FCAAP meeting!
Posters:
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Wiegand JL and Thompson JA: Unconventional Ductal Flow Restriction and Novel Latrogenic Pseudoaneurysm Plug Closure in Pulmonary Atresia with Intact Septum
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Ezzi ZB, Wiegand JL, Abadeer M, Scully B, Sambatakos PJ: Left Coronary Artery Ostial Isolation in an Infant with a Dysplastic Aortic Valve
| | | Student Research Forum Oral Presentations: | | |
Knoepfler M, Nookala N, Adams, K. Who Taught You That? The Impact of Sex Education Sources on Health Behaviors
Nuss K, Garagozlo K, Barillas-Arias L. Microscopic Polyangiitis Presenting with Chronic Hemoptysis
Brower S, Scarpone S, Arias I, Asencio M, Vigo L, Colen L, Fallon K, Torres C, Blanco M. Enhancing Care for Children with Medical Complexity: Integrating HealthySteps into a Pediatric Complex Care Medical Home Model
| | | | | | Dr. Jennifer Takagishi completed her term as FCAAP vice president, Dr. Cameron Nereim discussed suicide risk, while residents Aliasger Ezzi, Zainab Ezzi and John Weigand participated in the Brain Bowl. | | Faculty and trainees are reminded that all investigator-initiated studies need to be submitted for departmental scientific review prior to being submitted to the IRB. Departmental review is required before the IRB will consider the application. Please send your protocols and any inquiries about the process to Jane Carver (jcarver@usf.edu). | |
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October 18: The Gulf Coast Bike Trek—Cycle for AIR
October 23: The 2025 John S. Curran MD Endowed Lectureship in Newborn Health
| Clinical faculty are reminded that USF headshots will be taken at the STC on 10/31, and on main campus (10/17, 11/14 at the Faculty Office Building and 12/12 at the Morsani College of Medicine). For additional information contact Gina Rathbun (grathbun@usf.edu) | | Follow the department on Twitter and Facebook | | Follow the pediatrics residents on Instagram and Facebook | | Follow the internal medicine-pediatrics residents on Instagram and Facebook | | Please send content for the next newsletter to pedicom@usf.edu by 12/12/2025 | | | | |
