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We kicked off 2025 with exciting news! UNC Children’s and Duke Children’s will partner to build the first freestanding, independent children’s hospital in North Carolina, NC Children’s (NCC)! This partnership will be the first of its kind between two leading academic health systems to create a new children’s health system.
NC Children’s campus will feature a 500-bed freestanding children’s hospital, a children’s behavioral health hospital, a children’s outpatient care center, in addition to many other facilities and services. The campus will also include a robust research and education enterprise.
The public announcement was made at Marbles Museum. The room was full of energy and excitement! Please check out the pictures from the event, below.
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Lots of local and national news articles have highlighted this incredible news.
As always, I am so thankful for your leadership and I am excited to embark on this journey together!
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Welcome Our Newest Clinical Providers! | |
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Annie Westlund, NNP
Advanced Practice Provider
Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine
| Annie Westlund, NNP joined the Pediatric Division of Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine on January 24, 2025. Annie graduated in December 2023 from Duke with an MSN and has been working as an NNP since May 2024. Prior to moving to NC, she lived in Greenville, SC, where she worked as a NICU nurse for 10 years. During her time as an RN, she helped start the group’s small baby unit and was a member of the transport team for a number of years. We are excited to have her join the UNC team. Welcome Annie! | | | | |
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Adam Suchar, MD
Associate Professor and Division Chief
Pediatric Anesthesiology
Dr. Adam Suchar has recently been named Division Chief for Pediatric Anesthesiology! He will be taking over for Sara Pittenger as she transition to her new role as Vice Chair of Clinical Integration for the Department of Pediatrics.
Dr. Suchar completed both his general surgery and anesthesiology residencies at UNC, completed a pediatric anesthesiology fellowship at Cincinnati Children's before returning to UNC as faculty in the Department of Anesthesiology. Congratulations Adam!
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New Children's Preoperative Pathway
We are excited to announce the development of the Children's Preoperative Pathway at UNC. This is a collaboration that Dr. Sherry Ross is leading together with Pediatric Anesthesia and our Diagnostic Clinic team, and it has grown out of the preoperative evaluations long done by our Diagnostic Clinic. This effort will help make it more systematic for children who have medical comorbidities to have comprehensive presurgical evaluations and optimize their pre and post surgical outcomes. Special thanks to Dr. Maria Ferris and Dr. LaClaire Stewart, who are playing important roles optimizing quality through their evaluations as part of this expansion. Huge thanks to Dr. Neal deJong for his leadership in this effort.
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People are drinking elderberry to treat cold and flu. Experts say think twice | |
Americans catch an estimated 1 billion cases of the cold each year. For centuries, people have been looking for an elixir to remedy runny noses and sore throats.
Elderberry supplements — marketed for boosting the immune system — have recently become one of the most popular herbal supplements in the country. According to the Nutrition Business Journal, consumers spent an estimated $175 million on elderberry pills, syrups and powders last year.
Dr. Kori Flower and other experts have other advice.
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Department of Pediatrics Meeting
If you couldn't join us for the meeting
on Mon, January 27,
the slides can be found here!
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Sanderson Receives 2025 ASPN Equity, Social Justice, and Advocacy Award
Congratulations to Dr. Keia Sanderson on being awarded the 2025 American Society of Pediatric Nephrology (ASPN) Equity, Social Justice, and Advocacy Award. The award recognizes individuals whose work advances equity, social justice, and advocacy in the field of pediatric nephrology.
She will formally accept her award at the April 2025 ASPN meeting in Honolulu where she will ALSO present her research in oral abstract form.
Well Done!
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Good Elected to American Society for
Clinical Investigation
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Misty Good, MD, MS, Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Division Chief of Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine and Co-Director of Carolina Child Health Scholars Program, was recently elected to membership of the American Society for Clinical Investigation.
Founded in 1908, the American Society for Clinical Investigation is one of the oldest and most esteemed nonprofit honor societies of physician-scientists. Congratulations!
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Alexis Announced as Director of the Center for Environmental Medicine, Asthma and Lung Biology | Neil Alexis, PhD, Professor in Pediatric Allergy/Immunology, has been named director of the Center for Environmental Medicine, Asthma and Lung Biology (CEMALB). Dr. Alexis first joined CEMALB in 1997 and did his post-doctoral training at the EPA Human Studies Facility in Chapel Hill. He is a professor of pediatrics and has most recently served as associate director of CEMALB. | | | |
Rebuli Appointed Director of the Curriculum in Toxicology and Environmental Medicine | Meghan Rebuli, PhD, ATSF, Assistant Professor in Pediatric Allery/Immunology, has been appointed as the new Director of the Curriculum in Toxicology and Environmental Medicine (CiTEM) at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Dr. Rebuli brings a wealth of expertise, innovation, and dedication to her new role, having served as the Director of Graduate Studies in CiTEM. | | | |
Jennifer John, FNP, with the Youth Behavioral Health team in General Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, was selected to join the 2025 APP Advisory Council. | |
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Gabby Cox, Administrative Specialist with General Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, has been selected to participate in the 2025 UNC Health Emerging Leader Academy.
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Dr. Bianca Allison – General Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine – published:
Adolescent-Centered Sexual and Reproductive Health Communication. Allison BA, Wilkinson TA, Maslowsky J.JAMA. 2025 Jan 21;333(3):250-25. doi: 0.1001/jama.2024.24246.PMID: 39693089.
Beliefs and behaviors regarding abortion counseling among U.S. clinicians caring for adolescents.
Tsevat DG, Bullington BW, Arora KS, Allison BA.J Pediatr Adolesc Gynecol. 2024 Dec 7:S1083-3188(24)00351-6. doi: 10.1016/j.jpag.2024.12.004. Online ahead of print. PMID: 39653109.
Teen Pregnancy. Allison BA, Borcky T, Boutros-Khoury H, Kirkpatrick L. Pediatr Rev. 2024 Dec 1;45(12):680-692. doi: 10.1542/pir.2024-006414.PMID: 39616131.
Beyond stigma: Clinician bias in contraceptive counseling to sexual and gender minority youth.
Mann ES, Hartheimer J, Bullington BW, Thornton MJ, Arora KS, Allison BA. Contraception. 2025 Jan;141:110718. doi: 10.1016/j.contraception.2024.110718. Epub 2024 Sep 25.PMID: 39332608.
Dr. Melissa Bauserman – Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine - published: Effects on maternal and pregnancy outcomes of first-trimester malaria infection among nulliparous women from Kenya, Zambia, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Leuba SI, Westreich D, Bose CL, Olshan AF, Taylor SM, Tshefu A, Lokangaka A, Carlo WA, Chomba E, Mwenechanya M, Liechty EA, Bucher SL, Ekhaguere OA, Esamai F, Nyongesa P, Jessani S, Saleem S, Goldenberg RL, Moore JL, Nolen TL, Hemingway-Foday J, McClure EM, Koso-Thomas M, Derman RJ, Hoffman M, Meshnick SR, Bauserman M. PLoS One. 2024 Dec 20;19(12):e0310339. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0310339. eCollection 2024.PMID: 39705264.
Dr. Maria Ferris – General Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine – and Drs. Jennifer Goralski and Elisabeth Dellon – Pulmonology - published: Healthcare transition readiness of families of youth with cystic fibrosis during COVID-19: A correlational multicenter analysis. Girdwood TC, Kainz K, Silva SG, Goralski JL, de Ferris MED, Lynn MR, Dellon EP, Nasr SZ, Uluer A, Toles MP. Health Care Transit. 2024 Jul 26;2:100065. doi: 10.1016/j.hctj.2024.100065. eCollection 2024.PMID: 39712578.
Drs. Elizabeth Jalazo and Cynthia Powell – Genetics & Metabolism - and Dr. Neal deJong – General Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine – published: A systematic framework for selecting gene-condition pairs for inclusion in newborn sequencing panels: Early Check implementation. Cope HL, Milko LV, Jalazo ER, Crissman BG, Foreman AKM, Powell BC, deJong NA, Hunter JE, Boyea BL, Forsythe AN, Wheeler AC, Zimmerman RS, Suchy SF, Begtrup A, Langley KG, Monaghan KG, Kraczkowski C, Hruska KS, Kruszka P, Kucera KS, Berg JS, Powell CM, Peay HL.Genet Med. 2024 Dec;26(12):101290. doi: 10.1016/j.gim.2024.101290. Epub 2024 Oct 5.PMID: 39375994.
Dr. Edwin Kim - Allergy/Immunology - presented:
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"Sublingual Immunotherapy for Food Allergy: How and When to Use" at the Eastern Food Allergy Conference.
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"Update on Immunotherapy Approaches for Food Allergy" for the Allergy Grand Rounds for the Department of Medicine at the University of Wisconsin.
Dr. Matt Laughon– Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine - published: Changes in Patent Ductus Arteriosus Management and Outcomes in Infants Born at 26-28 Weeks' Gestation. Kaluarachchi DC, Rysavy MA, Do BT, Chock VY, Laughon MM, Backes CH, Colaizy TT, Bell EF, McNamara PJ.J Pediatr. 2024 Dec 26;279:114456. doi: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2024.114456. Online ahead of print. PMID: 39732160. The work was highlighted in the journal club podcast, The Incubator, linked here!
Dr. Nancie MacIver – Endocrinology – was recently awarded an RO1 by the National Institutes of Health/NIDDK for her project “Identifying mechanisms by which metformin regulates T cell responses in obesity” in the amount of $3,249,892 over 5 years.
Dr. Tisu Mvalo – General Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine – published: Infections and Antibiotic Resistance in Malawian Children Under Five-Years Old Hospitalized With Severe Acute Malnutrition. Vonasek BJ, Nyirongo M, Kondwani A, Kamvaunamwali T, Ng'oma D, Ciccone EJ, Kaphatika J, Tepeka AG, Kumwenda M, Eickhoff J, Garcia-Prats AJ, Mvalo T.J Pediatric Infect Dis Soc. 2025 Jan 20;14(1):piae120. doi: 10.1093/jpids/piae120.PMID: 39656758.
Dr. Maura Olcense – Emergency Medicine – published: Understanding Trends in Pediatric Drowning Injuries in North Carolina. Olcese M, Waller AE. South Med J. 2024 Dec;117(12):690-695. doi: 10.14423/SMJ.0000000000001763.PMID: 39622517.
Drs. Brittany Raffa and Samantha Schilling – General Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine – published: A feasibility study on the virtual adaptation of Child Adult Relationship Enhancement in Primary Care. Raffa BJ, Wood JN, Rezabek R, Powell BJ, Schilling SS. J Technol Behav Sci. 2024 Dec;9(4):752-770. doi: 10.1007/s41347-024-00393-y. Epub 2024 Feb 12.PMID: 39726734.
Drs. Ahmad Sami and Christian Hochhalter - Carolina Child Health Scholars PSTP Program and GI fellows, and Dr. Sabina Mir - Gastroenterology published: Mount St. Helen's sign: A case for caution. Sami AS, Hochhalter C, Mir S.J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr. 2025 Jan 6. doi: 10.1002/jpn3.12461.
Drs. Keia Sanderson - Nephrology and Mike O’Shea – Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine - published: The intergenerational metabolic-cardiovascular life course: maternal body mass index (BMI), offspring BMI, and blood pressure of adolescents born extremely preterm. Sanderson K, Oran A, Singh R, Gogcu S, Perrin EM, Washburn L, Zhabotynsky V, South AM, Jensen ET, Fry RC, O'Shea TM. Pediatr Nephrol. 2025 Feb;40(2):463-472. doi: 10.1007/s00467-024-06523-1. Epub 2024 Sep 24.PMID: 39316152.
Dr. Johanna Smeekens – Allergy/Immunology – received a FARE New Investigator Award in support of her project “Salivary Component-specific IgA and IgG4 throughout Peanut Sublingual and Oral Immunotherapy” in the amount of $150,000 over 2 years.
Drs. Andrea Trembath and Matt Laughon – Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine - published: Apnea After 2-Month Vaccinations in Hospitalized Preterm Infants: A Randomized Clinical Trial. Greenberg RG, Rountree W, Staat MA, Schlaudecker EP, Poindexter B, Trembath A, Laughon M, Poniewierski MS, Spreng RL, Broder KR, Wodi AP, Museru O, Anyalechi EG, Marquez PL, Randolph EA, Aleem S, Kilpatrick R, Walter EB.JAMA Pediatr. 2025 Jan 6. doi: 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2024.5311. Online ahead of print. PMID: 39761016.
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Wonder Connection Set a Record in 2024
Thanks to your support and the work of the talented staff and dedicated volunteers, Wonder Connection set a record; they brought science, nature, and joy to 3,013 kids and teens in 2024! That is a lot of smiles (and slime and snow and STEM building kits and fairy houses and flowers and dinosaur digs etc)!
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Please join us in welcoming the newest additions to the Pediatrics family! | |
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Caitlan Pinotti, MD, MMCi, Assistant Professor in Pediatric Rheumatology, and family welcomed their newest baby boy, Bennett Remo Pinotti, on Christmas Day 2024,
So Precious!
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Madi Rooney, MSN, NNP, Advanced Practice Provider in Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine and family welcomed David Gregory Rooney in January. He was 7 lbs, 11 oz, 21 inches long.
Absolutely Perfect!
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Anderson to Join UNC Academic Leadership Team
We wanted to make everyone aware that Jaketa Anderson has accepted a new opportunity with the UNC Academic Leadership Recruitment team. Jaketa has been an integral part of our department, and we are grateful for her contributions to our projects and initiatives during her time with us. We’d like to extend a heartfelt thank you to her for her leadership over the last year!
Jaketa’s last day with the Department of Pediatrics will be February 14. In the meantime, please reach out to Bays Seagroves or Jaime Cooke for any immediate needs or questions related to Jaketa’s current projects/requests.
While we are sad to see Jaketa go, we are excited for her new role and the opportunities ahead. Please join us in congratulating her on this next step in her career!
With sincere thanks and best wishes!
- Stephanie D. Davis
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Melisa Campbell
Interim Finance Director
Central Administration
Nominated by Spencer Brady
We are so grateful for Melisa. She joined Pediatrics in the spring of 2023, moving over from the Department of Psychiatry where she’d been since 2013. She quickly learned Pediatrics finance and added her own expertise and attention to detail to her work. She has done great work with the team and has been a real asset to the department as the Interim Finance Director over the last year. Melisa also hired replacement staff when a couple key members left the team in the past year to pursue other opportunities. With a permanent Director of Finance joining the team in February, we are confident that Melisa, and the entire Finance team, will create a strong, cohesive, and effective team that will continue to provide excellent support to the department.
Thank you Melisa!
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