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I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving and had an opportunity to spend time with family and friends. During this season of gratitude, I would like to thank all the faculty and staff for their incredible commitment to UNC Children’s.
The past several weeks have been especially busy with children awaiting bed placement from the pediatric emergency room or outside hospitals. Thank you for all you are doing to care for these children and families! Please see the “Unsung Hero” message below written by Jenny Boyd that highlights our incredible PICU team!
I want to take the opportunity to thank Renie Daniel for her incredible work within the Adams School of Dentistry. She has served the children and families as a Pediatric Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon. Her last day at UNC will be January 31st. We will miss you Renie! Congratulations on your new leadership position!
I am excited to present the inspirational work occurring across UNC Children’s on December 14th. We will highlight the past and the future during the annual year in review which is entitled “The Future is Bright at UNC Children’s.”
Congratulations to the residency and fellowship education teams across UNC Children’s. The fellowships in the Dept of Pediatrics had a very strong match, and our residents matched into great fellowships across the country. Please see below for the Dept of Peds fellowship match results. I hope other departments will share any fellows matching to UNC with me too!
Incoming fellows:
- Allergy & Immunology: Katherine Caid (University of Arkansas); Hemadhanvi Chagrarlamudi (UNC Internal Medicine)
- Critical Care Medicine: Elizabeth Carroll (University of Virginia); Allison Steinauer (MUSC)
- Endocrinology: Harshini Pyata (UNC)
- Gastroenterology: Anushree Murugan (Brookdale Hospital Medical Center-One Brooklyn Health)
- Hematology-Oncology: Joanne Alfred (UNC); Emma Livne (Brown); Alexa Rodriguez (University of Tennessee)
- Hospital Medicine: Dena Lowing (Nationwide Children’s); Vivian Doyle (Memorial Healthcare Systems)
- Infectious Disease: Marielys Collazo-Roman (St. Louis University)
- Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine: Anna DePrenger (UNC); Rachel Levy (University of Utah)
- Nephrology: Kathleen Herman (Medical College of Georgia)
- Pulmonology: Sydney Hendricks (UNC)
Pediatric Residents Matching At Fellowships Across Country:
- Naseer Ahmed: Adolescent Medicine at Boston Children’s
- Joanne Alfred: Hematology/Oncology at UNC
- Maria Ansar: Pulmonology at Cincinnati Children’s
- Menna Awadalla: Emergency Medicine at Baylor
- Anna DePrenger: Neonatology at UNC
- Tia Fish: Critical Care at Vanderbilt
- Caitlyn Gold: Development-Behavior at Baylor
- Sydney Hendricks: Pulmonology at UNC
- Ghallia Kaouk: Critical Care at Johns Hopkins
- Joi McLaughlin: Gastroenterology at Children’s National
- Alhaji Mohammed: Neonatology at Duke
- Harshini Pyata: Endocrinology at UNC
Med-Peds Residents Matching:
- Heather Frank – Adult and Pediatric Palliative Care at UNC
- Shanice Glasco – Adult Cardiology at University of Texas Southwestern
- Arianna Michaels – Adult Pulmonology Critical Care at UNC
- Sarah Stafford – Adult Cardiology at Vanderbilt
Lastly, if you want to participate in our annual New Year’s video, the recording will be this Saturday, December 9th, at 8am in the Pediatric Hematology-Oncology Clinic. We hope to see you there!
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Please Welcome our New Children's Providers! | |
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Yvette B. Chop, MD, MPH
Assistant Professor
Wilmington Pediatric Specialty – Neonatology
| Dr. Chop joined the Department of Pediatrics as faculty in October, 2023. Dr. Chop received her BS from the University of Maryland in 2011, completed her medical degree at Saint James School of Medicine, Anguilla in 2016, and earned a master’s in public health at Walden University, Minnesota in 2017. She was a Pediatric Resident at the Vidant Medical Center at East Carolina University in Greenville, NC from 2017 to 2020. She completed subspecialty training in Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine at Nationwide Children’s Hospital/The Ohio State University in 2023. Welcome Yvette! | | | |
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Jordan Lewis, NNP
Advanced Practice Provider
Wilmington Pediatric Specialty – Neonatology
| Jordan Lewis, NNP, joined the Wilmington Peds group in Neonatology as a Nurse Practitioner in November 2023. Jordan has been an RN in the NICU in Wilmington since 2018 and recently graduated with her Master’s from East Carolina University. She will be primarily assisting the team at New Hanover. Welcome Jordan! | | | |
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Jennifer John, FNP
Advanced Practice Provider
General Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine
| Jennifer John, FNP joined the Department of Pediatrics in the Adolescent Medicine section of the Division of General Pediatrics & Adolescent in November 2023. Ms. John worked as a nurse in multiple settings for 17 years, including as a School Nurse in Onslow County, before obtaining her FNP degree. Since then, her experience has included working at the Murdoch Developmental Center, a state-run residential facility for people with intellectual disabilities. She will be onsite at the new Youth Behavioral Health Facility. Welcome Jennifer! | | | |
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Cheryl Crawford, CPNP DNP
Advanced Practice Provider
General Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine
| Cheryl Crawford, CPNP DNP joined the Department of Pediatrics in the Adolescent Medicine section of the Division of General Pediatrics & Adolescent in November 2023. Ms. Crawford has cared for children and adolescents in multiple outpatient settings, initially as a pediatric nurse for 6 years, and as a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner since 2005, most recently with UNCPN through the UNC Pediatrics at Forest Pines Wakefield office and the UNC Rex Hospital Newborn Nursery. She also earned her DNP degree in 2022. Welcome Cheryl! | | | |
2023 Novant Health - UNC Partnership Fall Retreat | Beginning November 10, 2023, physicians, local leaders, and members from Novant Health, UNC Health and the UNC School of Medicine attended a two-day conference to focus on the partnership between the organizations. Kody Kinsley, North Carolina's Secretary of Health and Human Services, spoke at the conference where participants refocused on the common goals of advanced clinical research, academic development, and clinical services. | | | |
RSV cases surge in southeastern North Carolina | |
Doctors say they are seeing more patients with RSV than any other illness this time of year.
A new preventive antibody to protect newborns against RSV is a step toward a healthier future. Rust says for now, the vaccine will be prioritized for high-risk patients. Those are newborns with underlying conditions, pregnant mothers and newborns six months or younger.
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Pediatric Disease of the Kidney Gets Full Treatment with Keia Sanderson | While chronic kidney disease diagnosis is rare in children, its effects are profound. Furthermore, there's so much scientists don't know about kidney function. Keia Sanderson, with UNC Children's, is hoping to change that. She specializes in chronic kidney disease treatment in pediatric patients and discusses avenues to advance treatment and prevention. | | | |
Congratulations to 2023 Emonson Award Winners | |
Macrina Liguori, MD, a fellow in the Division of Neonatal Perinatal Medicine, received the 2023 Emonson Award. Julie Blatt, MD, Professor in Hematology/Oncology received the 2023 Faculty Emonson award, and Nicole Willson, RN received the 2023 Nurse Emonson award. The Emonson Awards, established in 2006, annually recognize the nurse, resident, and faculty member who best represent the mission and spirit of UNC Children’s.
Congratulations and thank you to all of the award winners!
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Profound Gratitude for UNC Children's
In this season of Thanksgiving, it seems most appropriate to share this message of gratitude from Elizabeth King. Her little girl, Civel, just had open heart surgery a few weeks ago and is doing incredibly well. The entire family is overcome with gratitude and wants to ensure that the team knows how grateful they all are. It's always important to share our happiest stories. Please take a moment to read her note below (click on the note for an easier read).
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Greeson Earns Doctor of Nursing Degree | Tina Greeson, an Advanced Practice Practitioner in the Division of Gastroenterology, recently successfully defended her doctoral dissertation! Tina earner her doctorate in nursing while working her full time clinical job with Pediatrics. She is a wonderful example of what a nurse practitioner can do in an academic setting. Congratulations Dr. Greeson! | | | |
Ferrell Awarded North American CF Conference Resident Roundtable Award | Maureen Farrell, MD, MS, Pediatric Resident in the Physician Scientist Training Program was awarded the North American Cystic Fibrosis Conference Resident Roundtable Award. The award which supports medical residents to attend the annual meeting on behalf of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, providing opportunities to learn about advances in CF care and research as well as to network with leading investigators in the field. | | | |
Successful Pediatric Hospitalist Fellowship ACGME Site Visit | Many congratulations to those who helped with the recent Pediatric Hospitalist Fellowship ACGME site visit! The program passed without any citations. The site visitor repeatedly mentioned how amazing our faculty and staff are and how lucky we are as a fellowship to have such dedicated individuals. You all made the site visit look easy! Congratulations! | | | |
Virkud Promoted to Associate Professor | Yamini Virkud, MD, MPH was promoted to Associate Professor of Pediatrics effective November 1, 2023. Dr. Virkud has been a faculty member in Pediatrics since 2021. Dr. Virkud received her medical degree from Washington University in 2008. Dr. Virkud completed her pediatric residency at St. Louis Children’s Hospital in 2011 and clinical and research fellowships were completed at Duke University in 2014. Before joining us at UNC Children’s, Dr. Virkud was an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School and at Massachusetts General Hospital for Children. | | | |
Burbank Promoted to Associate Professor | Allison Burbank, MD was promoted to Associate Professor of Pediatrics effective November 1, 2023. Dr. Burbank has been a faculty member in Pediatrics since 2017. Dr. Burbank received her medical degree from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in May 2010 and remained in Little Rock, AR to complete her Pediatric Residency in June 2014. | | | |
Davis and Flower Announced as New Members of APS | The American Pediatric Society recently announced 84 new members joining the society in 2024. Among the new members includes: Ian Davis, MD, PhD, G. Denman Hammond Professor of Childhood Cancer at the Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center. He is also the chief of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology at the UNC Children’s Research Institute. Also named a new society member is Kori Flower, MD, MPH, MS, chief of General Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine at the UNC School of Medicine. | | | |
Sisk Hosts 37th Annual Society for Pediatric Anesthesiology Meeting | Dr. Joseph Sisk, Associate Professor of Anesthesiology, was program chair for the recent Annual Meeting of the Society for Pediatric Anesthesia (SPA), in San Francisco. Congratulations on a successful meeting! | | | |
Jaspers Earns 2024 Society of Toxicology Education Award | |
The Society of Toxicology has selected Dr. Ilona Jaspers to receive the 2024 Society of Toxicology Education Award. Ilona Jaspers, PhD is a Professor of Pediatrics, Microbiology & Immunology, Environmental Sciences and Engineering, and the Gillings School of Global Public Health.
Many thanks to Drs. Meghan Rebuli and Kym Gowdy (from OSU) put together an exceptional nomination package!
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If you couldn't join us for the
Department of Pediatrics Meeting
on Thurs, November 16th,
the slides can be found here!
Click to see the Slide Deck
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Antibodies to Cow's Milk Linked to Increased Risk of Cardiovascular Death | Analyses led by Corinne Keet, MD, PhD, at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine, of two longitudinal studies reveal how an increased level of an antibody called immunoglobin (IgE) to cow's milk is associated to cardiovascular-related death. | | | |
Mvalo Presents at The Union | |
Dr. Tisu Mvalo, Associate Professor of Pediatrics, in General Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, attended The Union World Conference on Lung Health in Paris, France, November 15-18. Dr. Mvalo traveled to The Union to support his mentees and present his work on the "High prevalence of TB among children aged <5 years hospitalised with severe acute malnutrition in Malawi"
Well done!
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Peden Named Clinical Research Alliance Chief Research Officer | David Peden, MD, MS, has been named chief research officer of the UNC School of Medicine Clinical Research Alliance. He will begin his work in the role immediately. He also serves as interim director of the CRA. Among his roles, Peden also serves as the senior associate dean for translational research for the School of ... | | | |
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Dr. Bianca Allison – General Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine – published:
Dr. Misty Good – Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine – published: Editorial: Recent advances in our understanding of NEC pathogenesis, diagnosis, and treatment. Good M, Khashu M. Front Pediatr. 2023 Nov 7 11:1326204.
Dr. Maria Ferris – General Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine – published: Stakeholders' perspectives on caregiver outcomes for health care transition for adolescents and young adults with special health care needs: A qualitative study. Fair CV, Betz C, Naranjo D, Porter J, Bailey EC, Korycinski H, Ferris M. Child Care Health Dev. 2023 Nov;49(6):1046-1053. doi: 10.1111/cch.13114. Epub 2023 Mar 16. PMID: 36905081.
Dr. Wesley Jackson – Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine – Dr. Jackson was awarded an NIH K23 (K23HD111623) for his grant titled, “Dose Optimization for Novel Drugs for Infants with Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy.” Congratulations Dr. Jackson!
Dr. Katie Jordan, Elizabeth Walters – General Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, and team published: Early Peanut Introduction in Infants: Improving Guideline Adherence With EMR Standardization. Herlihy LE, Walters EM, D'Auria JP, Orgel K, Jordan KA. Pediatrics. 2023 Nov 1;152(5):e2023062371. doi: 10.1542/peds.2023-062371. PMID: 37873594
Dr. Edwin Kim - Allergy/Immunology – published:
And Dr. Kim was recently featured in the following media outlets:
“Key Findings on Oral Immunotherapy ADP101”. (HCPLive)
“Safety Data, Implications of New Oral Immunotherapy ADP101”. (HCPLive)
“Sublingual immunotherapy safely, effectively induces peanut allergy remission in toddlers”. (Helio)
“Peanut sublingual immunotherapy effectively induces desensitization in younger children”. (Contemporary Pediatrics)
Dr. Corinne Keet – Allergy/Immunology – published:
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IgE to common food allergens is associated with cardiovascular mortality in the National Health and Examination Survey and the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis. Keet C, McGowan EC, Jacobs D, Post WS, Richards NE, Workman LJ, Platts-Mills TAE, Manichaikul A, Wilson JM. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2023 Nov 2:S0091-6749(23)01251-4. doi: 10.1016/j.jaci.2023.09.038. Online ahead of print. PMID: 37943208.
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Frequency and predictors of multisystem reactions to peanut in infant oral food challenges. Keet CA, Wood RA, Dantzer J, Plesa M, Taneja I, Andre M, Shreffler W, Togias A, Pistiner M. J Allergy Clin Immunol Pract. 2023 Oct 16:S2213-2198(23)01136-4. doi: 10.1016/j.jaip.2023.10.019. Online ahead of print. PMID: 37852442.
Dr. Ilona Jaspers – Allergy/Immunology – was a panelist at the Chemistry of Indoor Environment workshop, held at the National Academy of Sciences building in Washington, DC.
Dr. Matt Laughon – Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine – published: Diuretic Tolerance to Repeated-dose Furosemide in Infants Born Very Preterm with Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia. Bamat NA, Huber M, Shults J, Li Y, Zong Z, Zuppa A, Eichenwald EC, Laughon MM, DeMauro SB, McKenna KJ, Laskin B, Lorch SA. J Pediatr. 2023 Oct 31:113813. PMID: 37918519.
Dr. Tim Moran – Allergy/Immunology – published: Different airborne particulates trigger distinct immune pathways leading to peanut allergy in a mouse model. Immormino RM, Smeekens JM, Mathai PI, Clough KM, Nguyen JT, Ghio AJ, Cook DN, Kulis MD, Moran TP. Allergy. 2023 Oct 7. doi: 10.1111/all.15908. Online ahead of print. PMID: 37804001.
Dr. Tisu Mvalo – General Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine – published:
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A hidden pandemic: the danger of donated respiratory devices to children in LMICs. Hoekstra NE, Vonasek B, Mvalo T, Nyondo Y, McCollum ED. Lancet Glob Health. 2023 Dec;11(12):e1851-e1852. doi: 10.1016/S2214-109X(23)00497-7. Epub 2023 Nov 10. PMID: 37956683.
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Facilitators, barriers, and key influencers of breastfeeding among low birthweight infants: a qualitative study in India, Malawi, and Tanzania. Vesel L, Benotti E, Somji S, Bellad RM, Charantimath U, Dhaded SM, Goudar SS, Karadiguddi C, Mungarwadi G, Vernekar SS, Kisenge R, Manji K, Salim N, Samma A, Sudfeld CR, Hoffman IF, Mvalo T, Phiri M, Saidi F, Tseka J, Tsidya M, Caruso BA, Duggan CP, Israel-Ballard K, Lee AC, Mansen KL, Martin SL, North K, Young MF, Fishman E, Fleming K, Semrau KE, Spigel L, Tuller DE, Henrich N. Int Breastfeed J. 2023 Nov 8;18(1):59. doi: 10.1186/s13006-023-00597-7. PMID: 37940987.
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Point-Of-Care Ultrasound for Tuberculosis in Young Children with Severe Acute Malnutrition. Vonasek BJ, Kumwenda T, Gumulira J, Nyirongo M, Heller T, Palmer M, McCollum ED, Chiunda M, Garcia-Prats AJ, Bélard S, Mvalo T. Pediatr Infect Dis J. 2023 Nov 1. doi: 10.1097/INF.0000000000004158. Online ahead of print. PMID: 37963311.
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Competing risks modeling of length of hospital stay enhances risk stratification of patient care:application to under-five children hospitalized in Malawi. Stanley CC, Zulu M, Msuku H, Phiri VS, Kazembe LN, Chinkhumba J, Mvalo T and Mathanga DP (2023)Front. Epidemiol. 3:1274776. doi: 10.3389/fepid.2023.1274776.
Dr. Kelly Orgel – Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine Fellow – published: Early Peanut Introduction in Infants: Improving Guideline Adherence With EMR Standardization. Herlihy LE, Walters EM, D'Auria JP, Orgel K, Jordan KA. Pediatrics. 2023 Nov 1;152(5):e2023062371. PMID: 37873594.
Dr. Mike O’Shea – Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine – published:
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A Feasibility Study of a Physical and Occupational Therapy-Led and Parent-Administered Program to Improve Parent Mental Health and Infant Development. McCarty DB, Dusing SC, Thorpe D, Weinberger M, Pusek S, Gilbert A, Liu T, Blazek K, Hammond S, O'Shea TM. Phys Occup Ther Pediatr. 2023 Oct 22:1-20. PMID: 37867378.
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Accelerated Aging and the Life Course of Individuals Born Preterm. Bousquet A, Sanderson K, O'Shea TM, Fry RC. Children (Basel). 2023 Oct 13;10(10):1683. PMID: 37892346.
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Development and psychometric validation of the Pandemic-Related Traumatic Stress Scale for children and adults. Blackwell CK, Sherlock P, Jackson KL, Hofheimer JA, Cella D, Algermissen MA, Alshawabkeh AN, Avalos LA, Bastain T, Blair C, Bosquet Enlow M, Brennan PA, Breton C, Bush NR, Chandran A, Collazo S, Conradt E, Crowell SE, Deoni S, Elliott AJ, Frazier JA, Ganiban JM, Gold DR, Herbstman JB, Joseph C, Karagas MR, Lester B, Lasky-Su JA, Leve LD, LeWinn KZ, Mason WA, McGowan EC, McKee KS, Miller RL, Neiderhiser JM, O'Connor TG, Oken E, O'Shea TM, Pagliaccio D, Schmidt RJ, Singh AM, Stanford JB, Trasande L, Wright RJ, Duarte CS, Margolis AE. Psychol Assess. 2023 Nov;35(11):1054-1067. PMID: 37902671.
Dr. David Peden – Allergy/Immunology – published: A pilot randomized clinical trial of γ-tocopherol supplementation on wood smoke-induced neutrophilic and eosinophilic airway inflammation. Peden DB, Almond M, Brooks C, Robinette C, Wells H, Burbank A, Hernandez M, Hinderliter A, Caughey M, Jiang Q, Wang Q, Li H, Zhou H, Alexis N. J Allergy Clin Immunol Glob. 2023 Oct 5;2(4):100177. doi: 10.1016/j.jacig.2023.100177. eCollection 2023 Nov. PMID: 37876758.
Dr. Carl Seashore – General Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine - was featured in the media story: Doctor’s notes that write themselves? UNC Health tests AI so focus can be on patients. (WRAL)
Dr. Michael Stiener and the Hospital Pediatrics team– published: Pediatric Hospitalization Trends at Children's and General Hospitals, 2000-2019. Steiner MJ, Hall M, Sutton AG, Stephens JR, Leyenaar JK, Chase L, McDaniel CE. JAMA. 2023 Nov 21;330(19):1906-1908. doi: 10.1001/jama.2023.19268. PMID: 37902774.
Dr. Steiner was also recently featured a story on the dangers to children in THC edibles: Grandmother: 3-year-old twins accidentally ate THC gummies; Wake deputies investigating. (WRAL)
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Dr. Dan Lercher, with Pediatric Critical Care Medicine, and family, welcomed Anne Lawrence Lercher on November 2. Everyone is healthy and happy...Congratulations! | |
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Thanksgiving's Front Line Team Mates
UNC Children's
Nominated by: Jenny Boyd, Peds Critical Care
I would like to take a brief moment, especially during this season of thankfulness, to express my gratitude for the front line teammates that go above and beyond to give their all to care for the sickest children in the state.
Today I had the privilege and honor of working alongside many incredible and skilled teammates who worked tirelessly and expertly to care for, advocate, and tend to the high clinical needs of our sickest children. I don’t think anyone serving in the PICU today – nurses, respiratory therapists, pharmacists, physicians, housestaff, subspecialists, surgeons or HUCs, ate lunch today or took care of any of their own personal needs, in order to serve the children in our intensive care unit. I have 20 years of experience in this work, and today was one of a handful that I will always remember – because of how hard it was and for how everyone stepped up. While, personally, I was occupied with the care of several distinct and emergent needs of patients, there were countless other emergencies, including multiple emergent off unit imaging studies, in unit procedures, near arrests requiring 1:1 attention and resuscitation, bed management coordination to admit critically ill children arriving to our ED, and careful and thoughtful conversations with some of our chronic patients’ family members. We called in additional help and leaned on each other. I never heard one complaint or “No” …. everyone put their head down, got to work, and took care of the needs, which at times seemed overwhelming. The PICU today was given a challenge that stressed and stretched all of our resources, intellect, and emotional capacity and I am so proud and humbled by the way that this work was accomplished with fortitude and grace.
I am so incredibly proud and honored to work alongside teammates who take such care and pride in their work and care for their patients, who put others’ physical and emotional needs above their own, and who come together during a time of stress and chaos to make work get done for the sake of excellent patient care. I suspect there are many teammates leaving their PICU shift tonight who haven’t eaten in 12 hours or taken care of personal needs, and will need love, compassion, and hugs as they return to their families and homes. I want all of them to know that they and the work they accomplished is seen and is important. They are the reason we can, with authenticity, say that we are “one great team.”
As we celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday, I am incredibly grateful for the people that are sacrificing their time with family and friends to care for our sickest children in North Carolina. And while my own scope of care today was in the pediatric intensive care unit, I have no doubt that this same level of service, sacrifice, and teamwork was happening across all the units and teams at UNC Hospitals.
I am incredibly grateful for the team today and have confidence and faith that the teams working tomorrow and through the weekend and beyond will do the same.
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